Antibacterial Activity Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Isolates from Palm Sap (Arenga pinnata) from the Wawo Plantation, Tomohon City, North Sulawesi

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are prevalent in the microbiome of palm sap, particularly in the sago palm sap production centers of Tomohon City. Researchers focused on the Wawo Plantation to identify LAB species and assess their effectiveness as natural antibacterial agents. Utilizing 16S rDNA gene sequencing, the isolates were classified under the new genera Lacticaseibacillus and Lactiplantibacillus.

Four promising strains were selected for testing their inhibitory activity against Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli using the well diffusion method. All four strains demonstrated significant pathogen inhibition, with L. paracasei B1.6 exhibiting the strongest activity against Salmonella sp., producing an inhibition zone of 21.25 mm.

Meanwhile, L. casei B1.5 showed optimal inhibition against E. coli, with a zone of 11.0 mm. These results suggest that the local LAB strain from Tomohon palm sap holds substantial potential for application as a biopreservative in the food industry and as a functional probiotic agent.