Abstract
This study assessed the performance and potential use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Moroccan traditional foods as probiotics in animal feed. Five LAB strains Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from whey sourdough, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides and Leuconostoc mesenteroides from goat cheese, Enterococcus durans and Lacticaseibacillus casei from fermented milk were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Probiotic traits were evaluated by measuring acid/bile tolerance, cell surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying properties, antimicrobial activity and organic acid production, and safety checked through hemolysis and antibiotic sensitivity tests. L. plantarum, L. casei, and E. durans showed high survival rates after 24 h of culture under acid/bile stress conditions. The surface hydrophobicity of all strains ranged from 14.4 to 39.2%. L. plantarum showed the highest emulsifying capacity (81.4%) and stability (20%) after 24 h. Most strains inhibited pathogenic Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli. Metabolite profiling revealed L. pseudomesenteroides as an interesting butyric acid-producing bacterium and L. plantarum as a remarkable strain releasing high content of organic acids. Their antibiotic susceptibility and non-hemolytic nature support their safety and potential use as feed additives.