Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are increasingly recognized for their role in food biopreservation due to their ability to synthesize antimicrobial compounds. Milk naturally harbors a wide variety of LAB, offering a promising source for identifying strains with biopreservative potential. This study investigated the antagonistic effects, safety characteristics, and technological properties of LAB strains isolated from traditionally fermented milk. Thirty-two dairy samples were analyzed, and the resulting LAB isolates were screened for inhibitory activity against Listeria monocytogenes CECT 4032 and Staphylococcus aureus CECT 976 using agar spot and well diffusion assays. All tested strains exhibited strong antimicrobial effects, with particularly notable inhibition of L. monocytogenes. After phenotypic screening, five representative isolates were selected for molecular identification and further assessment of safety-related attributes, functional capabilities, auto- and co-aggregation properties. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that four strains belonged to the genus Enterococcus, specifically, one E. faecium and three E. durans, while one was classified as a Lactococcus species. Moreover, none of the strains showed proteolytic or lipolytic activities which highlights their potential use in dairy fermentation processes.

This study developed a predictive model for Escherichia coli survival in Amlou, a Moroccan almond–honey–argan oil spread, focusing on argan oil, sugar, and peptone concentrations. Based on the Doehlert matrix design, relationships were established between these ingredients and the death rate (DR) and survival period (SP). Sugar affected the DR, while argan oil and peptone influenced the SP. The DR model demonstrated an RMSE of 0.0095 and SEP of 22.22%, confirming its accuracy. This work offers valuable insights for food producers about E. coli’s behavior in Amlou-like foods.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditional foods are a useful source of natural biopreservatives. This study isolated and characterized indigenous LAB from goat meat produced in the argan grove ecosystem of the Souss-Massa region, Morocco, to identify strains that could improve food safety and shelf life. LAB were isolated under anaerobic conditions and screened by Gram staining, catalase test, growth profiling, and biochemical assays. Proteolytic, gelatinase, and hemolytic activity were assessed, together with antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens by agar well diffusion. The most promising strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The selected isolates belonged to Latilactobacillus and Enterococcus. Several isolates strongly inhibited Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, and none were hemolytic or gelatinase-positive. The sustained inhibition even after neutralization of pH suggested that the antimicrobial effects might be mediated by bacteriocin-like compounds or other non-acidic metabolites. In the strains tested, L. sakei MG4013 gave the best results because of its wide range of antimicrobial activity and absence of hemolytic, gelatinase, proteolytic and lipolytic activities. Goat meat from the Souss-Massa region therefore harbours LAB with biopreservative potential, with potential for use as natural preservatives in traditional meat products or as starter cultures in fermented foods. However, before being used as natural preservatives or starter cultures, they need to be further validated in food matrices.

Traditional camel meat products from the southern Moroccan Sahara may include indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with potential for biopreservation, however their antibacterial and safety properties are poorly investigated. The present work aims at isolation and characterization of LAB from fresh, fermented and dried-fermented camel meat, and identification of antibacterial strains. The total number of samples tested was 54. LAB were isolated on De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar under anaerobic conditions at 30 °C for 24–48 h and characterized by Gram staining, catalase test, growth profiling and biochemical assays. Of 2,592 isolates collected, 69 (2.68%) demonstrated antibacterial activity against at least one pathogen tested by agar well diffusion against Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Selection of six isolates with inhibition zones of 15–35 mm. The most active was Latilactobacillus sakei MC1923 with zones of 30, 35 and 30 mm against S. respectively, Enteritidis, S. aureus, and L. monocytogenes. No hemolytic or gelatinase activity were observed in the selected isolates. The isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium and Latilactobacillus sakei based on 16S rRNA sequencing. Traditional camel meat products are promising sources of LAB with antibacterial activity. Additional genomic safety evaluation and validation in food-matrix are required before their application as protective or starter cultures.