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Microorganisms
Volume 13
Issue 8
10.3390/microorganisms13081804
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Article

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

by
Andrea Bonfanti
1,
Romano Silvestri
2,
Ettore Novellino
3,4,
Gian Carlo Tenore
5,
Elisabetta Schiano
3,
Fortuna Iannuzzo
6,
Massimo Reverberi
7,
Luigi Faino
7,
Marzia Beccaccioli
7,
Francesca Sivori
8,
Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello
7,* and
Cristina Mazzoni
1,*
1
Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
2
Laboratory Affiliated with the Institute Pasteur Italy and Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
3
NGN Healthcare-New Generation Nutraceuticals s.r.l, Torrette via Nazionale 207, 83013 Mercogliano, Italy
4
Department of Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
5
Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
6
Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara G. D’Annunzio, 66100 Chieti, Italy
7
Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
8
Microbiology and Virology Unit, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, IRCCS (Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico), 00144 Rome, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(8), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081804 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 16 June 2025 / Revised: 23 July 2025 / Accepted: 29 July 2025 / Published: 1 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Fermentation, Food and Food Sustainability)
Versions Notes

Abstract

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 Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and Lactobacillus helveticus, alongside diverse heat-resistant yeasts such as Cyberlindnera jadinii. Culture-based isolation identified subdominant lactic acid bacteria strains, not detected by sequencing, belonging to Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis, and Enterococcus durans. These strains were further assessed for their probiotic potential. E. faecalis CW1 and E. durans RCEW2 showed tolerance to acidic pH, bile salts, and lysozyme, as well as a strong biofilm-forming capacity and antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. 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.
Keywords: probiotics; subdominant species; metagenome; waste; food sustainability probiotics; subdominant species; metagenome; waste; food sustainability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bonfanti, A.; Silvestri, R.; Novellino, E.; Tenore, G.C.; Schiano, E.; Iannuzzo, F.; Reverberi, M.; Faino, L.; Beccaccioli, M.; Sivori, F.; et al. Microbial Profiling of Buffalo Mozzarella Whey and Ricotta Exhausted Whey: Insights into Potential Probiotic Subdominant Strains. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081804

AMA Style

Bonfanti A, Silvestri R, Novellino E, Tenore GC, Schiano E, Iannuzzo F, Reverberi M, Faino L, Beccaccioli M, Sivori F, et al. Microbial Profiling of Buffalo Mozzarella Whey and Ricotta Exhausted Whey: Insights into Potential Probiotic Subdominant Strains. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(8):1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081804

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bonfanti, Andrea, Romano Silvestri, Ettore Novellino, Gian Carlo Tenore, Elisabetta Schiano, Fortuna Iannuzzo, Massimo Reverberi, Luigi Faino, Marzia Beccaccioli, Francesca Sivori, and et al. 2025. "Microbial Profiling of Buffalo Mozzarella Whey and Ricotta Exhausted Whey: Insights into Potential Probiotic Subdominant Strains" Microorganisms 13, no. 8: 1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081804

APA Style

Bonfanti, A., Silvestri, R., Novellino, E., Tenore, G. C., Schiano, E., Iannuzzo, F., Reverberi, M., Faino, L., Beccaccioli, M., Sivori, F., Rizzello, C. G., & Mazzoni, C. (2025). Microbial Profiling of Buffalo Mozzarella Whey and Ricotta Exhausted Whey: Insights into Potential Probiotic Subdominant Strains. Microorganisms, 13(8), 1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13081804

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