Antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from milk against Penicillium commune, P. nordicum, and P. verrucosum.

Penicillium spp. is considered a major spoilage fungus of cheeses. The use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with antifungal activity is an interesting possibility of biopreservation.

Polyphasic identification of Penicillium spp. isolated from Spanish semi-hard ripened cheeses.

Fifteen samples of semi-hard ripened cheeses, both spoiled (10) and unspoiled (5), and obtained from cheese factories located in Northwest of Spain, were analysed by a dilution plating technique and direct sampling. A total of 32 isolates were identified at species level by a polyphasic approach (phenotypic characterization, partial extrolite analysis and molecular identification). Most isolates (65.