Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese
Technological defects in the organoleptic characteristics of cheese (odour, colour, texture, and flavour) reduce quality and consumer acceptance. A red colour defect in Cabrales cheese (a traditional, blue-veined, Spanish cheese made from raw milk) occurs infrequently but can have a notable economic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/12/2388 |
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| author | Javier Rodríguez Cristina Lobato Lucía Vázquez Baltasar Mayo Ana Belén Flórez |
| author_facet | Javier Rodríguez Cristina Lobato Lucía Vázquez Baltasar Mayo Ana Belén Flórez |
| author_sort | Javier Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Technological defects in the organoleptic characteristics of cheese (odour, colour, texture, and flavour) reduce quality and consumer acceptance. A red colour defect in Cabrales cheese (a traditional, blue-veined, Spanish cheese made from raw milk) occurs infrequently but can have a notable economic impact on family-owned, artisanal cheesemaking businesses. This work reports the culture-based determination of <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the microbe involved in the appearance of red spots on the surface and nearby inner areas of such cheese. Sequencing and analysis of the genome of one <i>S. marcescens</i> isolate, RO1, revealed a cluster of 16 genes involved in the production of prodigiosin, a tripyrrole red pigment. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of prodigiosin in methanol extracts of <i>S. marcescens</i> RO1 cultures. The same was also observed in extracts from red areas of affected cheeses. The strain showed low survival rates under acidic conditions but was not affected by concentrations of up to 5% NaCl (the usual value for blue cheese). The optimal conditions for prodigiosin production by <i>S. marscescens</i> RO1 on agar plates were 32 °C and aerobic conditions. Prodigiosin has been reported to possess antimicrobial activity, which agrees with the here-observed inhibitory effect of RO1 supernatants on different bacteria, the inhibition of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>, and the delayed development of <i>Penicillium roqueforti</i> during cheesemaking. The association between <i>S. marcescens</i> and the red colour defect was strengthened by recreating the fault in experimental cheeses inoculated with RO1. The data gathered in this study point towards the starting milk as the origin of this bacterium in cheese. These findings should help in the development of strategies that minimize the incidence of pigmenting <i>S. marcescens</i> in milk, the red defect the bacterium causes in cheese, and its associated economic losses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:29:17Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:29:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-f95f513c1662400db14db1322c8ee25c2023-11-18T10:25:00ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582023-06-011212238810.3390/foods12122388Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue CheeseJavier Rodríguez0Cristina Lobato1Lucía Vázquez2Baltasar Mayo3Ana Belén Flórez4Departamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, SpainDepartamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, SpainDepartamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, SpainDepartamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, SpainDepartamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica, Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, SpainTechnological defects in the organoleptic characteristics of cheese (odour, colour, texture, and flavour) reduce quality and consumer acceptance. A red colour defect in Cabrales cheese (a traditional, blue-veined, Spanish cheese made from raw milk) occurs infrequently but can have a notable economic impact on family-owned, artisanal cheesemaking businesses. This work reports the culture-based determination of <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the microbe involved in the appearance of red spots on the surface and nearby inner areas of such cheese. Sequencing and analysis of the genome of one <i>S. marcescens</i> isolate, RO1, revealed a cluster of 16 genes involved in the production of prodigiosin, a tripyrrole red pigment. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of prodigiosin in methanol extracts of <i>S. marcescens</i> RO1 cultures. The same was also observed in extracts from red areas of affected cheeses. The strain showed low survival rates under acidic conditions but was not affected by concentrations of up to 5% NaCl (the usual value for blue cheese). The optimal conditions for prodigiosin production by <i>S. marscescens</i> RO1 on agar plates were 32 °C and aerobic conditions. Prodigiosin has been reported to possess antimicrobial activity, which agrees with the here-observed inhibitory effect of RO1 supernatants on different bacteria, the inhibition of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>, and the delayed development of <i>Penicillium roqueforti</i> during cheesemaking. The association between <i>S. marcescens</i> and the red colour defect was strengthened by recreating the fault in experimental cheeses inoculated with RO1. The data gathered in this study point towards the starting milk as the origin of this bacterium in cheese. These findings should help in the development of strategies that minimize the incidence of pigmenting <i>S. marcescens</i> in milk, the red defect the bacterium causes in cheese, and its associated economic losses.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/12/2388<i>Serratia marcescens</i>cheeseblue-veined cheesetechnological defectcolour defecttraditional cheeses |
| spellingShingle | Javier Rodríguez Cristina Lobato Lucía Vázquez Baltasar Mayo Ana Belén Flórez Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese Foods <i>Serratia marcescens</i> cheese blue-veined cheese technological defect colour defect traditional cheeses |
| title | Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese |
| title_full | Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese |
| title_fullStr | Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese |
| title_short | Prodigiosin-Producing <i>Serratia marcescens</i> as the Causal Agent of a Red Colour Defect in a Blue Cheese |
| title_sort | prodigiosin producing i serratia marcescens i as the causal agent of a red colour defect in a blue cheese |
| topic | <i>Serratia marcescens</i> cheese blue-veined cheese technological defect colour defect traditional cheeses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/12/2388 |
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