Propionic acid cocci

Table 1.5. DNA-DNA homology between propionic acid cocci, propionic and lactic acid bacteria. From Vorobjeva et al. (1983). ...

The taste and flavor of cheeses depend on microorganisms playing a major role in ripening. From the high-quality Soviet cheese and from cheese milk 25 strains of propionic acid bacteria were isolated (Alekseeva et al., 1973a), of which 17 strains represented P. freudenreichii, and the others were P. acidipropionici and P. Jensenii thus the principal strain of Soviet cheese is P. freudenreichii. In addition, propionic acid cocci were also isolated at an early stage of cheese ripening (see Section 1.2.2). 

Alekseeva MA, Vorobjeva LI, Chan TT, Baranova NA, Aleksandrushkina NI and Gavrina TP (1973b) Physiologo-biochemical properties of propionic acid cocci. Mikrobiologiya 42 464-467... 

As an excipient, sodium propionate is used in oral pharmaceutical formulations as an antimicrobial preservative. Eike propionic acid, sodium propionate and other propionic acid salts are fungistatic and bacteriostatic against a number of Gram-positive cocci. Propionates are more active against molds than is sodium benzoate, but have essentially no activity against yeasts see Section 10. 

Cell extracts of P. shermanii VKM-103 (wild type), P. shermanii KM-82 mutant (superproducer of vitamin B12), P. acnes CCM 322 and propionic add cocci P. coccoides) were tested as possible sources of antimutagens. The first two strains represented classical propionic acid bacteria, and P. acnes represented cutaneous propionibacteria. In the assay for antimutagenic activity S. typhimuhum TA 1535 his mutant) was used as the test organism (base pair substitution mutations tester). 

Vorobjeva LI, Kraeva NI and Charakhchyan LA (1982) New data on the metabohsm of propionic acid bacteria. Abstr All-Union Conf Anaerobes, Puschino, pp 4-5 Vorobjeva LI, Turova TP, Kraeva NI and Alekseeva MA (1983) Propionic cocci and their taxonomic position. Mikrobiologiya 52 465-471 Vorobjeva LI, Egorov NS, Kraeva NI and Al-Sudani S (1984) Production of physiologically active compounds by propionic acid bacteria. Proc 3rd Eur Congr Biotechnol, v 3, pp 690-695, Verlag-Chemie, Weinheim... 

The property of storing a polysaccharide within its cytoplasm is characteristic of the bacteria associated with the hydrolysis of starch in both the rumen and the caecum. Cl. butyricum is known to produce an amylase in vitrOy and a free amylase that occurs in the rumen of starch-fed sheep is presumably of bacterial origin, as no amylase is present in sheep s saliva. Similarly an amylase is produced in vitro by starch-splitting cocci, and although this enzyme hydrolyzes starch as far as the dextrin stage the end products of fermentation include acetic, propionic, and butyric acids. 

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