Abstract:
Camel meat is the mainstay for the inhabitants of arid lands due the resilience and adaptation of
camel. However, the lack of sufficient information regarding microbial stability and safety
hinders utilisation and market competitiveness of the meat. This study, therefore, aimed at
characterising the potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) isolates adapted to camel meat
production environment as potential protective cultures against Enterobacteriaceae-the most
challenging bacterial contaminant of raw meat- present on raw camel meat. Seven LAB and ten
members of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated and characterised from suusac and raw camel
meat, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the LAB against the Enterobacteriaceae
members was evaluated by the agar well diffusion assay. Citrobacter spp., Shigella spp. and
three out of the seven E. coli isolates were inhibited, while Salmonella spp. was not inhibited by
the LAB isolates. The mean diameters of the zone of inhibition ranged from 8.5 mm to 12.5 mm.
There was no significant difference between the mean diameters of inhibition zone among the
inhibited Enterobacteriaceae members (P>0.05). This study established that raw camel meat
may harbour foodborne pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae of a serious concern. LAB from suusac,
on the other hand, may repress the growth of some of them through antagonistic interactions.
Therefore, LAB showed potential as protective cultures in improving safety and quality of raw
camel meat.
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