METHODS TO ASSESS LACTIC ACID BACTERIA DIVERSITY AND COMPATIBILITY IN FOOD

Food microflora is a complex and mutable ecosystem where the effects of microbial culture addition are still not entirely foreseeable due to microbial diversity. Starter, probiotic, and adjunct microorganisms are widely selected and used in food to improve quality and safety; they may be formulated as monostrain or multistrain cultures. Lactic acid bacteria are included among the main groups deemed useful for these aims. Compatibility tests can constitute an effective way to assess interactions among lactic acid bacteria. Food microflora composition is generally examined using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The existing limits of each method can be overcome by combining them, so that they give more information on microbial complexity. Since mixed cultures of starter, probiotic, or adjunct lactic acid bacteria provide more beneficial effects than single cultures, future research should be guided by compatibility tests to show the most suitable and beneficial mixed cultures.