Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are considered a micro flora of Syrian camel milk. A total of 235 isolates of LAB were obtained from 63 camel milk samples, which have been collected from producing areas of different regions of Syria during 2009 and 2012. The isolates were cocci and rods, gram-positive and catalase-negative. 132 isolates were identified as cocci including 76 isolates belonging to Enterococcus (45 were Enterococcus faecium and 31 were Enterococcus faecalis), 29 isolates were Lactococcus lactis and 27 isolates were Streptococcus thermophilus, whereas 103 isolates were identified as rods belonging to Lactobacillus (49 were Lactobacillus pentosaeus, 29 were Lactobacillus plantarium, 13 were Lactobacillus casei and 12 were Lactobacillus acidophilus). Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique proved efficient in identifying and typing LAB isolated from Syrian camel milk.

Keywords: API, identification, lactic acid bacteria, milk, polymerase chain reaction (PCR).