Gioddu: From the Italian tradition, a functional kefir-like fermented milk?

Gioddu is a traditional Sardinian beverage obtained from the acid-alcoholic fermentation of goat's or sheep's milk. It is firmer than yogurt, with a translucent white colour and an acidic taste. Similarly to other fermented milks, gioddu produced according to the local tradition, without any starter cultures, is characterized by a heterogeneous microbial flora, which mainly consists of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. Given these premises, the present study was aimed at exploring the bacterial and fungal diversity of artisan manufactures of gioddu by culture-dependent and -independent techniques. The results overall collected highlighted the prevalence of Lactobacillus delbruekii subsp. bulgaricus, a species typically used for yogurt productions. In parallel, the analysis of the fungal population allowed Pichia cactophila, Galactomyces candidum and Kluyveromyces marxianus to be identified, with the latter species known to include functional strains. On the basis of these preliminary data, it is possible to hypothesize that gioddu might exert beneficial effects on human health, similarly to other acid-alcoholic fermented milks, such as kefir or koumis. However, further studies are needed to test this hypothesis.