Identification by using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry of lactic acid bacteria isolated from non-commercial yogurts in southern Anatolia, Turkey Authors Ayse Karaduman Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Mehmet Ozaslan Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Ibrahim H. Kilic Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Sibel Bayil-Oguzkan Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Health Services, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey Bekir S. Kurt Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Nese Erdogan Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Keywords: yogurt starters, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), southern Anatolia (Turkey) Abstract Yogurt is a dairy product obtained by bacterial fermentation of milk. Commercial yogurts are produced using standard starters while, in the production of non-commercial yogurt, the microbiota is quite different since yogurts are used as starter for years. To determine the final characteristics of the fermented product it is necessary to know the biochemical properties of the starter cultures, such as acidity, aroma and flavor. This can only be achieved by identifying and characterizing the bacteria in starter cultures. In our study, 208 non-commercial yogurt samples were collected from 9 different locations in Anatolia, southern Turkey. Their pH and lactic acid bacteria profiles were analyzed. Isolated bacteria were identified by MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser sesorption-ionization time-of-flight, mass spectrometry), which is a fast and reliable method for identification of bacterial isolates compared to classical laboratory methods. In this study, 41% of the isolates were identified by using this method, which is 99.9% and 34.0% confidence. The isolates contained two genera (Enterococcus and Lactobacillus) and four species. Afterwards, the four lactic acid bacteria were characterized physiologically and biochemically and we found that they differed from lactic acid bacteria used in commercial yogurt production. [Int Microbiol 20(1): 25-30 (2017)]Keywords: yogurt starters · lactic acid bacteria (LAB) · southern Anatolia (Turkey) Author Biographies Ayse Karaduman, Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Science, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey. Sibel Bayil-Oguzkan, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Health Services, University of Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Turkey Downloads PDF Issue Vol. 20 No. 1 (2017) Section Research Articles License Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsability for releasing this material and will act on behalf of any and all coauthors regarding the editorial review and publication process.If an article is accepted for publication in International Microbiology, the authors (or other copyright holder) must transfer to the journal the right–not exclusive–to reproduce and distribute the article including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature. Nevertheless, all article in International Microbiology will be available on the Internet to any reader at no cost. The journal allows users to freely download, copy, print, distribute, search, and link to the full text of any article, provided the authorship and source of the published article is cited. The copyright owner's consent does not include copying for new works, or resale. In these cases, the specific written permission of International Microbiology must first be obtained.Authors are requested to create a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The original publication is available on LINK at <http://www.im.microbios.org>. Please use the appropiate URL for the article in LINK. Articles disseminated via LINK are indexed, abstracted, and referenced by many abstracting and information services, bibliographic networks, subscription agencies, library networks, and consortia.