TABLE 3.

Microbial strains used in this study.

The test was performed by spotting each spore suspension on agar plates prepared by mixing yogurt serum fermentate of each single LAB or combined culture with agar, then incubating for 2 days (four Mucor strains) or 5 days (nine Penicillium strains) at 25°C.

Inhibitory effect was calculated as described in Subsection “Sensitivity of the Molds Toward Different Preparations of LAB” based on the number of pixels of each colony.

All the values in this table were expressed as the mean values of three replicates. The asterisk indicates significant difference between the treatment with binary combination cultures in comparison with the two corresponding single cultures (* P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01).

Score of antifungal activity as follows:

“−” No inhibition, Inhibitory effect ≤ 0;

30% ≥ Inhibitory effect > 0;

60% ≥ Inhibitory effect > 30%;

100% ≥ Inhibitory effect > 60%.