Lactic acid bacteria and enzyme production in silage of Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Abstract

Two different isolates of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum H5-M13F and Pediococcus pentosaceus Ac2-M13F were confirmed by morphological and phylogenic identification. H5-M13F was rod shaped, gram positive, negative for gas production and catalase activity, homofermentative, and grew at 10 – 45 C, pH 3.5 – 9.6, and 1.0 – 10 % NaCl2. Isolate Ac2- M13F was coccus shaped, gram positive, negative for gas production and catalase activity, homofermentative, and grew at 10 – 45 C, pH 3.5 – 9.6, and 1.0 – 6.5 % NaCl2. Amplification of the ITS regions from isolates H5-M13F and Ac2-M13F were confirmed by using Primer OPA-3. The phylogenetic tree from PAUP analysis indicated that isolate H5-M13F clustered with Lactobacillus sp. and isolate Ac2-M13F with Pediococcus sp. Phylogenetic analysis and dendrograms revealed no relationship between the two groups. It was found that isolate H5-M13F mostly isolated from silages (87.59%) while isolate Ac2-M13F was found at a low incidence in silages (3.19%). Lactobacillus plantarum H5-M13F and Pediococcus pentosaceus Ac2-M13F from silage of guinea grass showed the ability to produce extracellular degradative enzymes. Pediococcus pentosaceus Ac2- M13F produced amylase and protease and Lactobacillus plantarum H5-M13F produced protease.