Inhibition of Brevibacterium linens by Probiotics from Dairy Products
Alison M. Knox, Bennie C. Viljoen* and Analie Lourens-Hattingh
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, U.F.S., Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
Article history:
Received November 26, 2004
Accepted May 5, 2005
Key words:
Brevibacterium linens, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium lactis, inhibition, blue cheese
Summary:
Brevibacterium linens is an important species in dairy products rendering a specific taste and aroma to numerous smear ripened and blue veined cheeses due to proteolysis. However, the presence of the species in South African blue veined cheeses is undesirable and consumers demand the product void of the species. Accordingly, numerous methods including microbial inhibition using fungi and bacterial probiotic cultures with possible inhibitory effects were applied in an attempt to inhibit the species. None of the fungi, however, proved to be successful, whereas Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis, two typical probiotic species applied in dairy products, showed inhibitory effects against B. linens when tested using the spot-on-lawn assay.
*Corresponding author: 
++2751 40 12 621
++2751 44 43 219