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Evaluation of Pathogenicity Potential by Phenotypic and Genotypic Methodologies

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Biosafety Assessment of Probiotic Potential

Part of the book series: Methods and Protocols in Food Science ((MPFS))

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Abstract

Probiotic microorganisms can be included in various types of fermented food products or in supplements. Safety aspects are fundamental in the selection process of putative probiotics, namely origin, non-pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance features. A careful evaluation of the virulence potential is fundamental during the selection of food-related microbes, being a prerequisite to assure the biosafety of putative probiotics. Screening for the production of known traits (e.g., hemolysin), as well as searching for virulence determinants, is mandatory. For a microorganism to be included in the GRAS—Generally Recognized as Safe—list (in the United States of America) or to harbor QPS—Qualified Presumption of Safety—status (in Europe) “the lack of pathogenic properties must be established and substantiated.” This chapter will address methodologies available for the evaluation of the pathogenicity of lactic acid bacteria -LAB-, with main emphasis on the Enterococcus genus, the most controversial LAB.

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Acknowledgments

Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek is financially supported by national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. under the Transitional Standard—DL57/2016/CP1438/CT0004. We thanks projects PTDC/CVT-CVT/29510/2017, PTDC/OCE-ETA/1785/2020 and UIDB/00276/2020 (CIISA) supported by National Funds through FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek & Maria João Fraqueza

  2. AL4AnimalS, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek & Maria João Fraqueza

Authors
  1. Teresa Semedo-Lemsaddek
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  2. Maria João Fraqueza
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Correspondence to Maria João Fraqueza .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Surat, Gujarat, India

    Mitesh Kumar Dwivedi

  2. C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Surat, Gujarat, India

    Natarajan Amaresan

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India

    A. Sankaranarayanan

  4. Department of Biochemistry, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, India

    Rasheedunnisa Begum

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Semedo-Lemsaddek, T., Fraqueza, M.J. (2022). Evaluation of Pathogenicity Potential by Phenotypic and Genotypic Methodologies. In: Dwivedi, M.K., Amaresan, N., Sankaranarayanan, A., Begum, R. (eds) Biosafety Assessment of Probiotic Potential. Methods and Protocols in Food Science . Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2509-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2509-5_14

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