RESUMEN
AIMS: Bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates and Croton heliotropiifolius essential oil (EO) were used to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus and enhance the antioxidant action in goat coalho cheese (GCC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Lactic acid bacteria isolates were selected for their inhibitory capacity against S. aureus subsp. aureus, safety, existence of bacteriocin-encoding genes, bacteriocinogenic activity, and its antistaphylococcal action. The staphylococcal inhibition capacity of C. heliotropiifolius EO was also verified. Three cheeses were prepared containing S. aureus subsp. aureus (GCC SA), S. aureus subsp. aureus + LAB (GCC SA + LAB), and S. aureus subsp. aureus + EO (GCC SA + EO). Samples were analysed on days 0, 7, 14 and 21. Based on the screening, three LAB isolates were selected and identified as Enterococcus faecium. In GCC, the smallest population of S. aureus subsp. aureus was found until the 17th in the GCC SA + EO and from the 18th in the GCC SA + LAB. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased over time in GCCs. CONCLUSIONS: Autochthonous bacteriocinogenic LAB and C. heliotropiifolius EO are natural resources of the Caatinga, an exclusively Brazilian biome that predominates in the northeast of the country, with the potential to reduce the presence of S. aureus and increase the antioxidant activity in the GCC. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Goat coalho cheese is a product of cultural importance in northeastern Brazil. The process of obtaining the GCC is manual, and there is a high frequency of S. aureus in the product. Resources of the Caatinga with biofunctional properties can be tested to reduce the risk of staphylococcal toxins, and contribute to the nutritional value of the GCC, maintaining regional characteristics and respecting the local cultural tradition. LAB and C. heliotropiifolius EO contribute to the incorporation of bioactive substances and microbiological quality, generating a value-added GCC with exclusive resources of the Caatinga.
