Safety, functionality and genomic assessment of Pediococcus acidilactici strains isolated from traditional Persian fermented products with potential probiotic properties and hypocholesterolemic effect

Pediococcus acidilactici has a good reputation for its technological properties, particularly in the production of fermented sausages and has also been considered as a potential probiotic species. Since in recent years there is an increasing demand for probiotics of non-dairy origin, assessing bacterial species from non-dairy environments could be pretty advantageous. In this study, different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from a traditional Persian food (Kashk Zard), and strains discrimination was carried out by RAPD-PCR. Subsequently, some strains were identified to the species level and evaluated for their safety and functionality as probiotics, including properties such as antimicrobial activity, resistance to simulated human gastrointestinal conditions, and cholesterol-lowering effects. The genome of P. acidilactici strain IRZ12B was sequenced and the in silico analysis revealed that this strain possesses interesting probiotic properties, such as cholesterol-lowering capability and antimicrobial activitiy. Furthermore, genome analysis confirmed the absence of transmissible antibiotic resistance genes, plasmids, and virulence factors inside the genome. The results reported in this study make P. acidilactici IRZ12B a promising potential probiotic strain to be considered for the production of novel non-dairy-based functional food.