The technological, safety, and probiotic properties were determined of fifteen enterocin producing strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis isolated from traditional Iranian lighvan and koozeh cheeses. The highest inhibitory activity of the strains was against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Listeria innocua (ATCC 33090) indicators. Most of the isolates were able to hydrolyse casein, but none showed lipolytic or b-haemolytic properties and only 4 Ent. faecium strains were able to decarboxylate Lhistidine or L-ornithine. No strains had ace, cylA, cylB, VanA, and VanB genes. Only the Ent. faecium strains C20, KR34, and LR75 harboured cpd, gelE, and efaAfs genes, respectively. Ent. faecium M9, LR74, KR30, and KR37, which had no virulence genes or antibiotic resistance genes, had desirable technological properties and favourable probiotic properties, showing high survival in digestive conditions, and high adhesion ability to Caco2 epithelial cells correlating to high auto-aggregation.

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