Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus xylosus: technological potential for use in fermented sausage

Micrococcaceae strains are applied to fermented sausage as starter cultures, where several members of this family are naturally found. The aim of the present work was to isolate and characterize Staphylococcus xylosus from artisanal sausages produced in South Region of Brazil. From 89 isolates presenting catalase positive and coagulase negative activities, 25 strains were selected for phenotypic characterization. Nine strains identified as Staphylococcus xylosus by API-STAPH were evaluated for their nitrate reduction capacity, which showed satisfactory growth of the strains in the presence of nitrite and sodium chloride, demonstrating their potential for use as starter cultures in fermented sausage. The strains were also evaluated through genus and species-specific PCR, which showed only two as S. xylosus, differing from results found in phenotypic characterization.