LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATES FROM FERMENTED CAMEL MILK (SUUSAC) ARE POTENTIAL PROTECTIVE CULTURES OF RAW CAMEL MEAT

Camel meat is the mainstay for the inhabitants of arid lands due the resilience and adaptation of camel. However, the lack of sufficient information regarding microbial stability and safety hinders utilisation and market competitiveness of the meat. This study, therefore, aimed at characterising the potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) isolates adapted to camel meat production environment as potential protective cultures against Enterobacteriaceae-the most challenging bacterial contaminant of raw meat- present on raw camel meat. Seven LAB and ten members of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated and characterised from suusac and raw camel meat, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the LAB against the Enterobacteriaceae members was evaluated by the agar well diffusion assay. Citrobacter spp., Shigella spp. and three out of the seven E. coli isolates were inhibited, while Salmonella spp. was not inhibited by the LAB isolates. The mean diameters of the zone of inhibition ranged from 8.5 mm to 12.5 mm. There was no significant difference between the mean diameters of inhibition zone among the inhibited Enterobacteriaceae members (P>0.05). This study established that raw camel meat may harbour foodborne pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae of a serious concern. LAB from suusac, on the other hand, may repress the growth of some of them through antagonistic interactions. Therefore, LAB showed potential as protective cultures in improving safety and quality of raw camel meat.