MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH POSTHARVEST GREEN OLIVES DETERIORATIONS IN MOROCCO

Altered green olive fruits harvested by the pole slender method were s tudied for the microorganisms involved in post-harvest alterations of the fruits before the fermentation process. The determinations include d: standard plate count, Gram-negative bacteria (coliforms and pseudom onads), Bacillus, and yeasts. Results showed that the alterations are due first to yeasts and their interactions with pseudomonads and colif orms. The most frequent yeasts were represented by the species: Debary omyces hansenii, Rodothorula glutinis, Pichia membranefaciens, P. anom ala and Candida bacarum. Gram-negative fermenting bacteria were repres ented by the species: Erwinia carotovora, Hafnia alvei, Enterobacter a gglomerans, E. aerogenes and Serratia marcescens, S. liquefaciens and Shigella flexneri. The oxidase-positive bacteria were most abundant an d mainly dominated by Pseudomonas species including P. aeruginosa, P. alcaligenes and P. syringae. Most of the isolates of these microorgani sms were cellulolytic and lipolytic. Bacillus especies were also isola ted and identified. The main species were Bacillus megaterium, B. pumi lus, B. cereus and B. olei. Bacillus species seem not involved in oliv e deteriorations.