Fig. 1

Agar-well Diffusion Test showing the antimicrobial activity of cell-free supernatants collected from cultures of 40 LAB isolated from badgers against M. smegmatis. These 40 isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and named as: (1) Pediococcus acidilactici A5; (2) P. lolii A6; (3) Enterococcus faecalis A7; (4) Weissella cibaria A23; (5) W. paramesenteroides A37; (6) P. pentosaceus B4; (7) P. acidilactici B41; (8) P. lolii B53; (9) E. faecalis C34; (10) Lactobacillus reuterii D4; (11) P. acidilactici E12; (12) P. lolii E23; (13) P. acidilactici E24; (14) P. acidilactici E48; (15) P. lolii F7; (16) P. acidilactici F20; (17) P. acidilactici F24; (18) P. acidilactici F44; (19) E. faecalis F48; (20) P. lolii G23; (21) P. pentosaceus G24; (22) P. acidilactici G41; (23) E. faecalis G42; (24) P. lolii G54; (25) P. acidilactici H33; (26) E. faecalis H34; (27) P. acidilactici I32; (28) E. faecium I47; (29) L. plantarum J2; (30) P. acidilactici J26; (31) P. acidilactici L4; (32) P. acidilactici M16; (33) P. acidilactici M17; (34) W. paramesenteroides N43; (35) E. faecium O44; (36) L. plantarum P5; (37) P. acidilactici Q16; (38) L. plantarum R20; (39) L. plantarum S48; (40) L. plantarum T17. All supernatants showed very acidic pH ranging between 3.6–-4.0 for lactobacilli and pediococci, and 4.2–-4.5 for weissella and enterococci. MRS broth (MRS) and supernatants from cultures of L. lactis NZ9700 (700) and L. lactis NZ9800 (800) were used as controls. Both L. lactis strains reduce pH in MRS but no lower than pH 4.5