Isolation and Characterization of Bioprotective Lactic Acid Bacteria from Goat’s Meat Produced in the Argan Grove of Morocco

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditional foods are a useful source of natural biopreservatives. This study isolated and characterized indigenous LAB from goat meat produced in the argan grove ecosystem of the Souss-Massa region, Morocco, to identify strains that could improve food safety and shelf life. LAB were isolated under anaerobic conditions and screened by Gram staining, catalase test, growth profiling, and biochemical assays. Proteolytic, gelatinase, and hemolytic activity were assessed, together with antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens by agar well diffusion. The most promising strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The selected isolates belonged to Latilactobacillus and Enterococcus. Several isolates strongly inhibited Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus, and none were hemolytic or gelatinase-positive. The sustained inhibition even after neutralization of pH suggested that the antimicrobial effects might be mediated by bacteriocin-like compounds or other non-acidic metabolites. In the strains tested, L. sakei MG4013 gave the best results because of its wide range of antimicrobial activity and absence of hemolytic, gelatinase, proteolytic and lipolytic activities. Goat meat from the Souss-Massa region therefore harbours LAB with biopreservative potential, with potential for use as natural preservatives in traditional meat products or as starter cultures in fermented foods. However, before being used as natural preservatives or starter cultures, they need to be further validated in food matrices.