Lactic Acid Bacteria and Dairy Food Production

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 250

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Food Safety and Quality, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: dairy products; probiotics; lactic acid bacteria; Lactococcus lactis; bacteriocins; food microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Safety and Quality, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: LAB; microbial genomics; metagenomics; microbial functionality; microbial stability

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Safety and Quality, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: food microbiology; molecular microbiology; food-borne pathogens

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic acid bacteria have a long history of application in dairy food fermentation processes; however, increasing attention has recently been focused on their metabolites. Lactic acid bacteria include a diverse group of bacterial species, many of which include strains with multifunctional characteristics, such as high fermentative capacity and notable health-promoting properties for humans. In addition, lactic acid bacteria are well known for their ability to produce antimicrobial substances, including organic acids and bacteriocins. During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can also synthesize various bioactive compounds, such as enzymes, vitamins, conjugated linoleic acid, exopolysaccharides and gamma-aminobutyric acid.

This Special Issue welcomes papers on the following topics, among others:

  • Role of lactic acid bacteria in dairy food processing and fermentation,
  • Bioactive and antimicrobial compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria,
  • Health benefits associated with lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites,
  • Enzymes, vitamins, CLA, exopolysaccharides, and gamma-aminobutyric acid in fermented dairy foods,
  • Application of metagenomics to study lactic acid bacteria diversity and functionality in dairy foods,
  • Metagenomic analysis of lactic acid bacteria communities in fermented dairy products.

Dr. Kristina Kondrotiene
Dr. Jurgita Aksomaitiene
Dr. Aleksandr Novoslavskij
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • lactic acid bacteria
  • probiotic microorganisms
  • bioactive compounds
  • dairy foods
  • metagenomics
  • fermentation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 3070 KB  
Article
Screening, Safety Assessment, and Process Optimization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Traditional Yak Yogurt as Adjunct Cultures
by Weiming Shuang, Xiaodong Zeng, Ting Li, Jing Li, Qing Sun and Lianhong Chen
Microorganisms 2026, 14(3), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14030630 - 11 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Cheese ripening is slow and costly, driving interest in accelerating maturation. This study aimed to isolate a safe, efficient adjunct starter from traditional Sichuan yak yoghurt, a niche rich in stress-adapted lactic acid bacteria. From 295 isolates, 15 strains tolerant to high salt, [...] Read more.
Cheese ripening is slow and costly, driving interest in accelerating maturation. This study aimed to isolate a safe, efficient adjunct starter from traditional Sichuan yak yoghurt, a niche rich in stress-adapted lactic acid bacteria. From 295 isolates, 15 strains tolerant to high salt, low pH, and low temperature were selected. Using acidification, autolysis, proteolysis, and peptidase activity as indices, principal component analysis identified Limosilactobacillus fermentum 270 as the best candidate. Phenotypic assays showed no haemolysis, gelatin liquefaction, indole production, or amino acid decarboxylase activity. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed species identity and revealed 52 protease/peptidase genes, complete pathways for diacetyl/acetoin biosynthesis and branched-chain amino acid conversion, and no functional biogenic amine synthesis genes. Stress-related genes (F-ATPase, glycine-betaine transport, cold-shock proteins) support cheese adaptability. Antibiotic resistance gene homologs were mainly chromosomal and unlinked to mobile genetic elements; a functional CRISPR-Cas system lowers horizontal transfer risk. The strain was developed as a freeze-dried direct-vat starter (97.3% viability). Orthogonal optimisation of yak Gouda cheese-making defined best conditions: 0.018% adjunct, 45 min acidification, pH 5.8, and 30% curd washing. L. fermentum 270 thus combines proteolytic, flavour-enhancing, genetic safety, and processing traits, offering a promising adjunct for accelerated cheese ripening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Dairy Food Production)
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