Probiotic Potential of Some Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Blue Maize Atole agrio from Veracruz, México

Mexican culture offers a great variety of traditional maize-based fermented foods which are beneficial for the human health. Atole agrio (sour atole), prepared from blue maize (Zea mays) from the state of Veracruz, have been scarcely studied in terms of their impact on human health and microbiological characterization. The purpose of this study was to select endogenous potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from freshly fermented blue maize atole agrio. In the initial stages of fermentation, the presence of fungi, yeasts, coliform organisms and LAB could be detected and in the final fermentation process, where the blue atole agrio reached a pH of 4, 49 isolates of LAB could be obtained using MRS agar. Sixteen isolates showed high tolerance to pH 2 and seven of them to 3% bile salts and 4% sodium chloride (halotolerance). Although the seven isolates showed low hydrophobicity to hexadecane and chloroform, they have medium autoaggregation and coaggregation to pathogens. The seven isolates showed notable antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica serovar Tiphymurium, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes and a good amylolytic capacity. The seven isolates were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus by mass spectrometry. Only subtle differences were found among the seven strains, and they can be considered as potential candidates for probiotics and the freshly fermented blue maize atole agrio can be considered as a functional food.