Title : Bacterial taxonomic characterization of mexican artisanal cincho cheese via 16S rRNA sequencing
Abstract:
Mexican artisanal cheeses are traditionally produced using raw and/or pasteurized milk. In Mexico, there are at least 50 types of artisanal cheeses, among which, according to various sources, Cincho cheese from the states of Morelos and Guerrero stands out as one of the most representative. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the bacterial diversity of Cincho cheese. To this end, three cheese samples (Q1, Q2, and Q3) with 10 days of ripening were collected and analyzed using both culture-dependent methods (plate pour technique) and culture-independent methods through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The cheeses showed counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria ranging from 9 to 9.99 log CFU·g⁻¹, total coliforms from 3 to 8.9 log CFU·g⁻¹, fecal coliforms >1100 CFU·mL⁻¹, Staphylococcus spp. from 6.3 to 8.0 log CFU·g⁻¹, yeasts from 8.1 to 8.9 log CFU·g⁻¹, and lactic acid bacteria from 9 to 12 log CFU·g⁻¹. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, a total of 44 bacterial genera were identified. The most abundant genera were Acinetobacter (23.48%), Aerococcus (23.22%), Leuconostoc (21.18%), Streptococcus (20.61%), Enterococcus (18.64%), Lactococcus (12.09%), Enhydrobacter (10.24%), Lactobacillus (8.3%), Staphylococcus (7.96%), and Pantoea (4.91%). The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the bacterial diversity in Cincho cheese, which may help improve the production techniques of this mexican artisanal cheese, as well as its safety and quality parameters.
