Abstract
Fermented foods, which are widely consumed around the world, are of great importance for human health. Standard production should be carried out in order to extend the shelf life of fermented products and increase their positive effects on human health. Therefore, there is a need for starter cultures that can be used in the production of fermented products. In this study, antifungal activity on 9 yeast isolates, antibiotic resistance, growth at different temperatures, pH and salt concentrations, arginine hydrolysis and gas production from glucose of 5 lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paracasei, Pediococcus parvulus, Leuconostoc holzapfel) were investigated. The lactic acid bacteria have antifungal effects on all yeasts except Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Kazachstania exigua and Pichia fermentans, and they grow at 10 and 25 oC, 3.9 and 5 pH and 4% salt concentration. In addition, all of the isolates showed resistance to vancomycin. The results indicated that L. brevis, L. plantarum, L. paracasei strains can be used as starter cultures in term of standart pickle production and antifungal effect.