Microbial Profiling of Buffalo Mozzarella Whey and Ricotta Exhausted Whey: Insights into Potential Probiotic Subdominant Strains.

Buffalo mozzarella cheese whey (CW) and ricotta cheese exhausted whey (RCEW) are valuable by-products of the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO production chain. This study characterized their microbial communities using an integrated culture-dependent and -independent approach. Metabarcoding analysis revealed that the dominance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including and , alongside diverse heat-resistant yeasts such as . Culture-based isolation identified subdominant lactic acid bacteria strains, not detected by sequencing, belonging to , , and . These strains were further assessed for their probiotic potential. CW1 and RCEW2 showed tolerance to acidic pH, bile salts, and lysozyme, as well as a strong biofilm-forming capacity and antimicrobial activity against and . Moreover, bile salt resistance suggests potential functionality in cholesterol metabolism. These findings support the potential use of CW and RCEW as reservoirs of novel, autochthonous probiotic strains and underscore the value of regional dairy by-products in food biotechnology and gut health applications.