Antimicrobial Potential of Probiotics in Combination with Start er Lactic Acid Bacteria

Abstract The symbiotic interrelationship of probiotic bacteria and starter lactic acid bacteria is of fundamental importance in many fields of industrial microbiology and it is also a great interest of food technologists. This study deals with the antimicrobial potential of cell-free supernatants of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, L. rhamnosus GG and Fresco culture when cultivated alone or together against 5 strains of Escherichia coli and 5 strains of Staphylococcus aureus. While the effect on E. coli was not proven (average change of final density compared to the control was only ΔNEC,24h = 0.12 log CFU ml-1), the decrease of S. aureus final density in the presence of nisin and cell-free supernatant of L. acidophilus NCFM and Fresco culture was considerable (ΔNSA,24h,nis10 = -1.95 log CFU ml-1 and ΔNSA,24h,NCFM+Fr24 = -0.69 log CFU ml-1, respectively).