Resumo

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the most important bacteria used in fermented food, being utilized industrially as starter cultures, providing desirable changes such as color, flavor and texture, the nutritional value, the stability, the security, besides increasing the life and economic value of the product. When the goal is to isolate, identify and characterize bacterial cultures to be added in certain foods it is of extreme importance that these micro-organisms are isolated from the food in which they will be applied as starter cultures, because that way the cells will be adapted to that environment, having the biochemical profile and enzymatic complex needed to promote the desired characteristics during fermentation. The goal of this study was to isolate and characterize lactic acid bacteria of mixed smoked sausage, produced in the city of Pelotas RS/Brasil, aiming its technological application as starter cultures. For the isolation, selection, characterization and identification of lactic acid bacteria from embedded meat products, two samples were collected, from mixed smoked sausages from different origins. After the selection and isolation, a phenotypic characterization was made. All the isolated samples presented the form of Gram positive cocci (CG+) and catalase negative. All isolated colonies presented growth to temperature of 45ºC, were resistant to 0,1% and 0,3% of bile salts, in 3% of salt (NaCl) and survived to pH 3. The results suggest that the isolated colonies belong to a group of lactic acid bacteria. The tolerance to pH 3 and to the bile salts suggests that these isolated colonies may survive to the conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract. This result is important when we search for the application of LAB as probiotic cultures. However, the application of other tests that guarantee the identification of the isolated colonies is necessary, as evaluation of the biochemical profile and application of molecular techniques to the confirmation of the species. Nevertheless, a series of other tests is necessary to confirm the probiotic potential of the isolated colonies.