The antibiotic susceptibility and antimicrobial activity, as food safety parameters important for application of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB), that previously satisfied technological criteria for functional starter cultures in fresh cheese production were examined. Soluble whole cell protein patterns of autochthonous LAB strains from fresh cheese, obtained by SDS-PAGE, revealed the presence of two predominant strains, which were identified as Lactobacillus fermentum A8 and Enterococcus faecium A7. These strains were not resistant and shown susceptibility to antibiotics: ampicillin, bacitracin, penicillin G, azithromycin, chloramphenicol, clarithromycin, clindamycin, spiramycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, neomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, rifampicin and novobiocin. Lb. fermentum A8 strain displayed phenotypic resistance to vancomycin, but this resistance is intrinsic, not transferable and it is acceptable from the safety aspect. The capacity of Lb. fermentum A8 and Ec. faecium A7 to inhibit growth of test-microorganisms Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 11911, Escherichia coli 3014, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium FP1 and Staphylococcus aureus 3048, was also analysed. According to obtained results, Lb. fermentum A8 and Ec. faecium A7 are safe from the aspect of spreading antibiotic resistance and could be useful as bioprotective cultures that inhibit common bacterial food contaminants, including L. monocytogenes.U ovom radu istražena je osjetljivost na antibiotike i antimikrobna aktivnost odabranih autohtonih sojeva bakterija mliječne kiseline, koji su u prethodnim istraživanjima zadovoljili tehnološke kriterije za funkcionalne starter kulture namijenjene proizvodnji svježeg sira. Prema profilu topljivih staničnih proteina, dobivenom SDS-PAGE metodom, ustanovljeno je da u tradicionalno proizvedenom svježem siru prevladavaju dvije vrste bakterija mliječne kiseline, identificirane kao Lactobacillus fermentum A8 i Enterococcus faecium A7. Ovi bakterijski sojevi nisu bili rezistentni, nego su pokazali osjetljivost na testirane antibiotike: ampicilin, bacitracin, penicillin G, azitromicin, kloramfenikol, klaritromicin, klindamicin, spiramicin, tetraciklin, streptomicin, neomicin, gentamicin, eritromicin, rifampicin i novobiocin. Bakterijski soj Lb. fermentum A8 posjeduje fenotipsku rezistenciju na vankomicin, ali ta je rezistencija urođena, nije prenosiva na druge bakterije i stoga je prihvatljiva s aspekta sigurnosti njegove primjene kao starter kulture. Ispitano je i antimikrobno djelovanje kultura Lb. fermentum A8 and Ec. faecium A7 prema test-mikroorganizmima: Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 11911, Escherichia coli 3014, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium FP1 i Staphylococcus aureus 3048. Prema dobivenim rezultatima, Lb. fermentum A8 i Ec. faecium A7 su sigurni s aspekta širenja antibiotičke rezistencije i mogu biti korisne kao zaštitne kulture koje inhibiraju bakterije, najčešće kontaminante hrane, uključujući i L. monocytogenes
