Identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Tulum cheese during ripening period

The fresh Tulum cheese was manufactured and then ripened at 10 +/- 2 degrees C for 3 months. Isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was carried out during the ripening period of 90 days. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from PCA, M17, and MRS agar. The strains isolated were identified using morphology, colony pigmentation, production of carbon dioxide from glucosey growth at 4 and 40 degrees C), salt tolerance, starch hydrolysis, and sugar fermentation with the AN system methods. A total of 253 strains isolated during the storage. Identifying strains belonged to genera of the lactobacilli (133), pediococci (44), enterococci (29), leuconostocs (2 7), and lactococci (8). 12 of 253 strains were not also identified. Lactobacilli (75.2%) were frequently determined on MRS medium. In the results of this article, lactobacilli were found at high frequencies, while enterococci, lactococci, leuconostocs, and pediococci were found at low frequencies in Tulum cheese. Lactobacilli increased during the ripening period, but the others did not change a significant amount.