Screening and preliminary characterization of potential probiotic lactic acid bacteria from vegetable wastes

Southeast Asia generates over 8 million tons of vegetable waste annually, yet the microbial isolations from these wastes are rarely associated with potent probiotics. This study aimed to screen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from fermented and non-fermented vegetable wastes for probiotic potential. LAB were isolated using serial dilutions on MRS agar supplemented with 1% CaCO3, yielding 17 isolates. Two isolates, FCU21 and FBS34, demonstrated notable probiotic potential by exhibiting antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila (6.3 ± 0.08 mm and 6.2 ± 0.04 mm) and Streptococcus agalactiae (5.6 ± 0.04 mm and 10.4 ± 0.28 mm). Initial identification based on morphological, phenotypic and biochemical characteristics showed Gram-positive, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming cocci. Genotypic analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed both isolates as Enterococcus hirae, with 99% similarity for FCU21 (from fermented cucumber) and 100% for FBS34 (from fermented mung bean sprouts), designated as Enterococcus hirae UPM01 and UPM02, respectively. Whole-genome shotgun sequencing showed distinct genomic features, including variations in base pairs, contigs and coding sequences. These findings highlight the promising potential of Enterococcus hirae strains as probiotics for aquaculture, warranting further investigation into their probiotic properties and applications.

Text 125281.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB) Official URL or Download Paper: https://www.ukm.my/jsm/pdf_files/SM-PDF-54-12-2025...

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