Application of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis to evaluate acetic acid bacteria in traditional balsamic vinegar

• Published in: Food microbiology 2006-12, Vol.23 (8), p.809-813
• Main Authors: De Vero, Luciana, Gala, Elisabetta, Gullo, Maria, Solieri, Lisa, Landi, Sara, Giudici, Paolo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic Acid; Acetic acid bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; biotransformation; Consumer Product Safety; DGGE; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel - methods; Fermented food industries; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Food Microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gel electrophoresis; grape must; Humans; isolation; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; microbial colonization; molecular systematics; oak barrels; PCR; polymerase chain reaction; ribotypes; serotypes; Species Specificity; starter cultures; Traditional balsamic vinegar; traditional foods; vinegars; wine aging; Wines and vinegars
• ISSN: 0740-0020; 1095-9998
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2006.01.006

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are fastidious micro-organisms to isolate and cultivate despite of the great number of growth media available. Moreover, conventional techniques used to study AAB populations are time consuming and not completely reliable. In this study, we tested the usefulness of the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electophoresis (PCR-DGGE) as a rapid and cost effective method for the screening of AAB in traditional balsamic vinegar (TBV). DGGE analysis was applied to 19 AAB strains isolated by agar plating from three different samples of TBV. DGGE was also used for the analysis of PCR products obtained from DNA extracted directly from the TBV samples. A tentative species identification was achieved comparing the PCR-DGGE patterns of the isolated strains and the TBV samples to those of 15 AAB reference strains. The results support that DGGE is functional to monitor vinegar's AAB population.