The aim of the present study was to isolate riboflavin- and folate-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB)
from raw goat milk and cheeses, identify them and evaluate their capability to increase the content of
these vitamins in fermented goat milk, envisaging potential application for development of novel bioenriched
goat milk products. From 179 LAB isolates obtained, 151 (84%) were capable to produce at least
one of these vitamins. The average production of total folate and riboflavin in vitamin-free media was
138 ng/ml and 364 ng/ml, respectively. Based on RAPD-PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing, 19 different genetic
profiles were obtained and 7 species were identified, with predominance of Streptococcus thermophilus
(7), Weissella paramensenteroides (6), and Lactococcus lactis (4). Seven isolates that produced
folate and riboflavin above the average were tested for vitamins production in UHT goat milk. Five
isolates were capable to increase four to six fold the original amount of folate in the milk in 24 h. Folate
content in milk fermented with Lc. lactis FP368 for 24 h was 313 ng/ml that could provide 19% of the
recommended daily intake of this vitamin. In addition, St. thermophilus FP268 increased the folate
concentration in the milk almost four fold in only 6 h.