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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2007, p. 5453-5463, Vol. 73, No. 17
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01072-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Microbial Ecology of the Soppressata of Vallo di Diano, a Traditional Dry Fermented Sausage from Southern Italy, and In Vitro and In Situ Selection of Autochthonous Starter Cultures{triangledown}

Francesco Villani,1* Annalisa Casaburi,1 Carmela Pennacchia,1 Luisa Filosa,1 Federica Russo,1 and Danilo Ercolini2

Department of Food Science, School of Agriculture,1 School of Biotechnological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy2

Received 14 May 2007/ Accepted 26 June 2007

The microbial ecology of "soppressata of Vallo di Diano," a traditional dry fermented sausage from southern Italy, was studied by using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. The ripened fermented sausages were characterized by high microbial loads of both staphylococci and lactobacilli. Using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) targeting the variable V3 and V1 regions of the 16S rRNA gene and direct DNA sequencing, it was possible to identify Staphylococcus xylosus, S. succinus, and S. equorum among the staphylococci and Lactobacillus sakei and L. curvatus within the lactobacilli. Moreover, Debaryomyces hansenii was the main yeast species found by targeting the yeast 26S rRNA gene by PCR-DGGE. Selected strains of S. xylosus, L. sakei, and L. curvatus were characterized for their technological properties in the ripening conditions of the fermented sausages so as to select an autochthonous starter formulation. The selection included the determination of nitrate reductase, lipolytic, and antioxidant activity and proteolysis with myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein fractions. Such properties were evaluated in both in vitro and in situ assays; the latter were performed by using each strain as a starter in the laboratory-scale manufacture of soppressata of Vallo di Diano and by monitoring the microbiological and chemical changes at the end of ripening. The results show differences between the in vitro and in situ selection results and indicate that in situ evaluation of the technological performance of specific strains is better suited to selecting autochthonous starter cultures for fermented-meat products than in vitro evaluation.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy. Phone: 39 081 2539403. Fax: 39 081 2539407. E-mail: villani{at}unina.it

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 6 July 2007.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2007, p. 5453-5463, Vol. 73, No. 17
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01072-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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