Biotechnological properties and antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from two marine algae Ulva lactuca and Sargassum muticum collected from the Moroccan coast of Sidi Bouzid–El Jadida

Isolation of new strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from extreme environments is currently in great demand, given their biotechnological properties and their potential integration into food biotransformation and valorization processes. Thus, the purpose of this work was to isolate LAB strains from two marine algae ( Ulva lactuca and Sargassum muticum ) collected from the coast of Sidi Bouzid –El Jadida (Morocco). A total of 15 potential LAB strains were isolated on MRS agar on the two marine algae species. Microscopic and phenotypic identification of LAB isolates showed that all strains were Gram positive, cocci shaped, and showed negative catalase reaction. Biochemical tests showed that all LAB isolates were homofermentative and ten LAB strains (66.6%) showed lipolytic and/or proteolytic enzymatic activities. Out of the 15 LAB isolates, 8 strains exhibited a considerable antifungal activity against fungal strains of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger ranging from 60% to 90%. The ability of LAB isolates to grow on culture media formulated by the two algae powders showed a significant acidifying capacity and a decrease in pH from an initial value of 7.04–2.63 after growth for 10 days. These results suggest the potential use of LAB isolates in fermentation and biotechnological processes for the valorization of marine algae into value-added products for various applications.