ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIA RESISTANT TO THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GARLIC

Twenty-six bacteria were isolated from garlic (Allium sativum) and cha racterized. They all were identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides subs p. mesenteroides. All the isolates were resistant to antimicrobial act ivity of garlic and grew or survived in TSB with 10% garlic extract wh ile other bacteria and yeasts from our laboratory collection were kill ed when 1-2% garlic extract was in the culture media. Garlic isolates were also more tolerant than common laboratory strains to the toxic ef fect of methyl methanethiosulfonate, a thiol inhibitor similar to alli cin. This is the first report of the isolation of naturally occurring bacteria resistant to antimicrobial activity of garlic.