摘要：The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of lactobacilli in Churpi cheese,
a traditional variety of cheese made from yak milk. Thirty-five lactobacilli isolated from five
different samples procured from different parts of Arunachal Pradesh (India) were analyzed by
phenotypic and genotypic methods. The 16S rDNA sequencing for all the isolates was performed.
Five different species of lactobacilli were isolated from Churpi cheese with the predominance of
Lactobacillus paracasei followed by Lactobacillus plantarum. All the isolates were further
evaluated for their technological properties such as citrate utilization, exopolysaccharide (EPS),
bacteriocin, and acid production. Forty-three percent isolates were found positive for citrate
utilization, while 14% were found good acid producer, and 11% for EPS production. Lactobacillus coryniformis was an uncommon species found in Churpi cheese. Isolates obtained in this study can be potentially used for the development of defined strain starter for Churpi cheese.
