Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu - 641 003, India
*Corresponding author: Email: karthi.wonders@gmail.com
Online published on 16 May, 2014.
Cell surface characteristics of functional lactic acid bacterial strains Enterococcus durans Afm50, Lactococcus lactis Gfm34 and Lactococcus lactis Brd10 were investigated. The strains showed strong auto as well as co-aggregation ability. Hydrophobic/hydrophilic and electrostatic cell properties of functional strains were characterized by affinity measurements to solvents. The strains E. durans Afm50 and L. lactis Gfm34 exhibited weak hydrophilic global characteristics whereas the strain L. lactis Brd10 was strongly hydrophilic. The weakly hydrophilic strains also had high electronegative charge and their zeta potential ranged from -24.7 mV to -31.9 mV in the pH range of 3.5 to 8 was found. Positive correlation between bacterial cell surface hydrophilicity and adhesiveness to polystyrene surface at low ionic strength (1.5 mM NaCl) was found. Adhesive abilities of the strain on polystyrene microtiter plate revealed that weakly hydrophilic and highly negatively charged strains E. durans Afm50 and L. lactis Gfm34 were more adhesive than the strongly hydrophilic L. lactis Brd10
Lactic acid bacteria, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, surface charge, adhesion
