Transition Technologies in the Preanalytical Phase: Qualitative Study of Obtaining Huacaya Alpaca (Vicugna Pacos) Milk for Therapeutic Purposes in a High Andean Region

Cervantes-Alagón S.L.; Gonzales-Alcos V.C.; Jallo D.C.; Vargas R.P.; del Carmen Medina Rojas R. · Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-24262-4_39

Resumen

The study has a qualitative approach, characterized by direct observation, with recording of all procedures, at an exploratory-descriptive level. Probiotic bacteria are of great importance to human health, with particular relevance in high-altitude regions and in the face of health problems, due to particular environmental, physiological, and socioeconomic conditions. Huacaya alpaca (Vicugna pacos) milk represents a resource of biotechnological interest in high-altitude areas, with potential for obtaining probiotic bacteria for therapeutic use. The present study aimed to collect alpaca milk samples and evaluate their suitability for the isolation of Lactobacillus. For the qualitative research, milk samples were obtained from the Carolina Experimental Center of the National University of the Altiplano, under controlled transport and storage conditions. In the laboratory, they were inoculated onto appropriate agar media, evaluating colony morphology, Gram staining, and viability for isolation. All samples showed positive growth of Gram-positive bacilli compatible with Lactobacillus, with high viability. These preliminary results suggest that alpaca milk is a suitable source for obtaining probiotic strains with therapeutic potential, which motivates interest in future research in molecular characterization and evaluation of antibiotic activity. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano