Dapkevicius Maria de Lurdes Enes, Sgardioli Bruna, Câmara Sandra P A, Poeta Patrícia, Malcata Francisco Xavier
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Technology (IITAA), University of the Azores, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal.
Foods. 2021 Apr 10;10(4):821. doi: 10.3390/foods10040821.
As a genus that has evolved for resistance against adverse environmental factors and that readily exchanges genetic elements, enterococci are well adapted to the cheese environment and may reach high numbers in artisanal cheeses. Their metabolites impact cheese flavor, texture, and rheological properties, thus contributing to the development of its typical sensorial properties. Due to their antimicrobial activity, enterococci modulate the cheese microbiota, stimulate autolysis of other lactic acid bacteria (LAB), control pathogens and deterioration microorganisms, and may offer beneficial effects to the health of their hosts. They could in principle be employed as adjunct/protective/probiotic cultures; however, due to their propensity to acquire genetic determinants of virulence and antibiotic resistance, together with the opportunistic character of some of its members, this genus does not possess Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) status. It is, however, noteworthy that some putative virulence factors described in foodborne enterococci may simply reflect adaptation to the food environment and to the human host as commensal. Further research is needed to help distinguish friend from foe among enterococci, eventually enabling exploitation of the beneficial aspects of specific cheese-associated strains. This review aims at discussing both beneficial and deleterious roles played by enterococci in artisanal cheeses, while highlighting the need for further research on such a remarkably hardy genus.
作为一个已经进化出抵抗不利环境因素能力且易于交换遗传元件的属，肠球菌非常适应奶酪环境，并且在手工制作的奶酪中数量可能会很高。它们的代谢产物会影响奶酪的风味、质地和流变学特性，从而有助于其典型感官特性的形成。由于其抗菌活性，肠球菌可调节奶酪微生物群，刺激其他乳酸菌（LAB）的自溶，控制病原体和变质微生物，并可能对宿主健康产生有益影响。原则上，它们可作为辅助/保护性/益生菌培养物使用；然而，由于它们倾向于获得毒力和抗生素抗性的遗传决定因素，以及其一些成员的机会性特征，该属不具备安全合格推定（QPS）地位。然而，值得注意的是，食源性肠球菌中描述的一些假定毒力因子可能仅仅反映了其作为共生菌对食物环境和人类宿主的适应性。需要进一步研究以帮助区分肠球菌中的有益菌和有害菌，最终实现对特定奶酪相关菌株有益方面的利用。本综述旨在讨论肠球菌在手工制作奶酪中所起的有益和有害作用，同时强调对这样一个极其顽强的属进行进一步研究的必要性。
