589 Original article doi: 10.12980/jclm.4.2016J6-133 ©2016 by the Journal of Coastal Life Medicine. All rights reserved. Assessment of fsh coproducts Sardina pilchardus as the source of lactic acid bacteria Hamza Belkhodja * , Mohamed Allam, Fatima Sahnouni, Ouardia Boukhari Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life, University of Mascara, Mascara, Algeria Journal of Coastal Life Medicine 2016; 4(8): 589-591 Journal of Coastal Life Medicine *Corresponding author: Hamza Belkhodja, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life, University of Mascara, Mascara, Algeria. Tel: 00213794608611 E-mail: hamzabelkhodja@yahoo.fr The journal implements double-blind peer review practiced by specially invited international editorial board members. 1. Introduction Many developing countries have increasingly often used fish processing to meet demand for domestic or export requirements. Fish also plays an important role in the production of animal fodder and compounds for the pharmaceutical industry[1]. Fish processing is a crucial sector to meet the nutrient needs for humans. But it generates a large amount of waste estimated at 50% of the total volume. Meanwhile, it creates a problem of dumping of waste in different environments, which increases environmental pollution, in particular in the water environment. Fish coproducts are defined as: “unused parts and recoverable in the traditional production operations”[2]. During the processing of fish for human consumption, co-products including heads, viscera, falling trimming (thread), skin, scales, fins and tails are generated[1,3]. In many regions, most seafood processing waste from coastal factories are converted into fish meal or fertilizer, and all excess residues are discarded at sea, in coastal waters, directly applied on the ground or dumped in landfills[4]. These products are described as derivatives and not of finished products because they are generally marketed as ingredients, i.e. in the form of intermediate products for human nutrition, animal feed, die and cosmetic[3]. Our work therefore aims to recover the waste (edges, heads and guts) of a species of pelagic fish, the common sardine Sardina pilchardus (S. pilchardus). We determine the possibility of using waste as a source of bacteria of industrial interest among other lactic bacteria. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Biological material The study included the waste of one widely consumed species of fish which was the common sardine (S. pilchardus). S. pilchardus belongs to the family Clupeidae. This is a small fish whose length does not exceed 20 cm and it has a fusiform body which slightly compressed on the flanks and covered with large scales. It also wears a short dorsal fin without spines. 2.2. Microbiological control of the waste It is important to check if the waste of S. pilchardus complies with microbiological requirements specified in his monograph in the Pharmacopoeia[5]. A tube of sample (10 g fish waste) was introduced into and mixed with 9 mL of saline water or trypton salt broth medium thoroughly. Decimal dilutions were prepared from this solution by introducing 1 mL of stock solution in 9 mL saline water. The process was repeated until the desired dilution (the 6th dilution) was obtained. Various microbiological analyses were applied; a count of the total aerobic mesophilic flora (TAMF), total yeasts and molds count (TYMC) and some pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Objective: To recover the waste (edges, heads and guts) of a species of pelagic fish Sardina pilchardus as a source of lactic bacteria. Methods: The microbiological control of the fish waste was carried out. Then, the fish waste was assessed as a source of bacteria of industrial interest among other lactic bacteria. The standard protocol for researches of these microorganisms was adopted which comprised enrichment, isolation, identification, purification and conservation. Results: The results of the microbiological control indicated the presence of some species as part of the normal flora of the fish. The physiological and biochemical characterization has presented 2 different groups of lactic bacteria: Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus spp. Conclusions: The assessment of fish waste can give us the opportunity to obtain different species of useful bacteria. Article history: Received 2 Aug 2016 Received in revised form 9 Aug 2016 Accepted 10 Aug 2016 Available online 11 Aug 2016 Keywords: Fish Sardina pilchardus Waste Lactic bacteria journal homepage: www.jclmm.com