Effect of non-starter lactic acid bacteria, Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans, on metabolites and bacterial microbiota of smear-ripened cheese during storage

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the potential of Marinilactibacillus, a non-starter lactic acid bacterium that dominate Japanese smear-ripened cheese, as an adjunct culture to extend the shelf life of cheese. Smear-ripened cheeses inoculated with Marinilactibacillus psychrotolerans RV-2-3 (RV) and uninoculated controls were stored at 10 °C and compared weekly for fluctuations in components and bacterial microbiota. Changes in hydrophilic and volatile compounds observed before and after the best-before date in the controls were suppressed in the RV samples. Regarding the bacterial microbiota, the RV samples inhibited the growth of Brevibacterium, Brachybacterium, Microbacterium, Mammaliicoccus, and Halomonas, resulting in changes in the hydrophilic and volatile compounds. Additionally, the RV samples prevented the reduction of lactate and increased the levels of ammonia and pH. These results indicate that strain RV-2-3 has the potential to retain the sensory properties of cheese by suppressing the overgrowth of these bacteria and extending shelf life.