Yeast microbiota of the endogenous starter culture used in the production of the Canastra

Abstract

Yeast microbiota of the endogenous starter culture used in the production of the Canastra cheese
Variation of the yeast microbiota in the endogenous starter used in the production of the Canastra cheese was evaluated in the two seasons, according to the farm production, the raining (RS) and dry seasons (DS). The Canastra cheese is produced in the region of the Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais State, artisanal made from raw bovine's milk, and uses, as a starter culture, endogenous microorganisms present in the whay from this cheese. A total of 115 strains were isolated from 16 samples of the endogenous starter collected in 8 units farm in the two evaluated times. These isolates where characterized and identified phenotypically with the aid of classical methodology and API C 20 AUX system. The species of predominant yeasts in RS were Debaryomyces hansenii, Torulaspora delbruekii and Kluyveromyces lactis and in the DS, predominated Kluyveromyces lactis, Torulaspora delbruekii and Kluyveromyces marxianus. The results demonstrate that the yeast species present in endogenous starter in Serra da Canastra, in the two periods, did not differ, however it has been observed a difference in the frequency of the species identified.