TECHNOLOGICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
OF
CALABRIAN
ACETIC ACID BACTERIA
Andrea Caridi, Rossana Sidari
Facoltà di Agraria, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, I-89061 Gallina (RC), Italy. E-mail: acaridi@unirc.it
Aims: To exploit the acetic acid bacteria biodiversity in the Calabrian ecosystems.
Methods and results: Thirty-two strains of Acetobacter pasteurianus, two A. aceti and one Gluconacetobacter hansenii were employed in this research. They were taken from 530 strains, formerly
isolated from Calabrian acescent wines (42 samples) and homemade vinegars (23 samples), identified, and pre-selected on Glucose Yeast extract Calcium carbonate Agar for acetic acid production. Micro-acetification trials were performed in duplicate on 500 mL-flasks containing 200 mL of diluted white wine. At the end of the acetification process the vinegars were analysed and the parameters varied as follows: 3.06 - 3.28 (pH), 5.23 - 7.53 g % (titratable acidity), 2.40 - 3.50 g/L (glycerol), 305 - 395 mg/L (total polyphenols).
Conclusion: A remarkable biodiversity was observed among the strains, especially for the parameter
“titratable acidity”.
Significance and impact of the study: This technological survey constitutes a basic step to exploit the
bacterial biodiversity in the Calabrian ecosystems. Such biodiversity could be further explored with the ultimate goal to carry out selection programmes of typical strains.
Key words: biodiversity, Calabrian acetic acid bacteria, micro-acetification trials, technological
