MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH POST-HARVEST GREEN OLIVES DETERIORATIONS IN MOROCCO

.FAID M., Rachida AKHARTOUF and  ASEHRAOU A

 ABSTRACT

Altered green olive fruits harvested by the pole slender method were studied for the microorganisms involved in post-harvest alterations of the fruits before the fermentation process. The determinations included: standard plate count, Gram negative bacteria (coliforms and pseudomonads), Bacillus and yeasts. Results showed that the alterations are due first to yeasts and their interactions with pseudomonads and coliforms. The most frequent yeasts were represented by the species: Debaryomyces hansenii, Rodothorula glutinis, Pichia membranefaciens, P. anomala and Candida bacarum. Gram negative fermenting bacteria

were represented by the species: Erwinia carotovora, Hafnia alvei, Enterobacter agglomerans, E. aerogenes and Serratia marcecens, S. liquefaciens and  Shigella flexneri. The oxidase positive bacteria were most abundant and mainly dominated by Pseudomonas species including P. aeruginosa,  P. alcaligenes and  P. syringae. Most of the isolates of these microorganisms were cellulolytic and lipolytic. Bacillus species were also isolated and identified. The main species were Bacillus megaterium, B. pumilus, B. cereus and B. olei. Bacillus species seem not involved in olive deteriorations.