ABSTRACT Sumbawa wild horse milk is a raw dairy matrix traditionally consumed without pasteurisation and known to harbour an indigenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population with probiotic potential. Reliable species-level identification and safety screening are prerequisites before any probiotic claim can be made. To isolate LAB from Sumbawa wild horse milk, identify them using the 16S rRNA gene, and characterise their safety profile as probiotic candidates. A descriptive laboratory study. Isolates were recovered on MRS agar with 1% CaCO3 under anaerobic incubation at 24, 48 and 72 h. Eleven representative isolates (SKL 1–SKL 11) underwent phenotypic testing, safety testing (haemolysis; disk-diffusion susceptibility to 12 antibiotics) and 16S rRNA sequencing with BLASTn against GenBank. All isolates were Gram-positive, catalase-negative, non-motile and γ-haemolytic. BLASTn assigned them to four closest relatives: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (6 isolates; 99.60–99.80% identity), Enterococcus faecalis (2; 98.85%), Enterococcus lactis (2; 99.10%) and Enterococcus faecium (1; 98.70%). All identity values exceeded the 98.65% species-demarcation threshold at 100% query coverage, supporting species-level assignment. Resistance clustered in the aminoglycosides (streptomycin 11/11; kanamycin and gentamicin 9/11) and clindamycin (9/11), whereas all isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, tetracycline and vancomycin. The six L. plantarum-affiliated isolates are the strongest probiotic candidates, and their aminoglycoside resistance is most plausibly intrinsic and non-transferable. The enterococcal isolates require virulence-gene screening and MIC determination before any probiotic use. Because 16S rRNA cannot resolve the L. plantarum group or separate E. faecium from E. lactis, multilocus confirmation (recA, pheS, rpoA) and strain-level typing remain necessary. Keywords: 16S Rrna, Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum, Probiotic, Raw Milk, Safety, Wild Horse Milk. ABSTRAK Susu kuda liar Sumbawa merupakan susu mentah yang secara tradisional dikonsumsi tanpa pasteurisasi dan diketahui mengandung populasi bakteri asam laktat (BAL) indigenus berpotensi probiotik. Identifikasi spesies yang andal dan penapisan keamanan merupakan prasyarat sebelum klaim probiotik dapat diberikan. Mengisolasi BAL dari susu kuda liar Sumbawa, mengidentifikasinya berbasis gen 16S rRNA, dan mengarakterisasi profil keamanannya sebagai kandidat probiotik. Penelitian deskriptif laboratorium. Isolat diperoleh pada media MRS agar dengan penambahan CaCO3 1% secara anaerob pada tiga waktu inkubasi (24, 48, dan 72 jam). Sebelas isolat representatif (SKL 1–SKL 11) menjalani uji fenotipik, uji keamanan (hemolisis; kepekaan terhadap 12 antibiotik metode difusi cakram), dan sekuensing gen 16S rRNA dengan BLASTn terhadap GenBank. Seluruh isolat bersifat Gram positif, katalase negatif, non-motil, dan γ-hemolitik. BLASTn menempatkannya pada empat kerabat terdekat: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (6 isolat; identitas 99,60–99,80%), Enterococcus faecalis (2; 98,85%), Enterococcus lactis (2; 99,10%), dan Enterococcus faecium (1; 98,70%). Seluruh nilai identitas melampaui ambang penetapan spesies 98,65% dengan query cover 100%, sehingga penetapan tingkat spesies didukung memadai. Resistensi terpusat pada golongan aminoglikosida (streptomisin 11/11; kanamisin dan gentamisin 9/11) dan klindamisin (9/11), sedangkan seluruh isolat sensitif terhadap kloramfenikol, tetrasiklin, dan vankomisin. Enam isolat berafiliasi L. plantarum merupakan kandidat probiotik terkuat dan resistensi aminoglikosidanya paling mungkin bersifat intrinsik serta tidak dapat ditransfer. Isolat Enterococcus memerlukan penapisan gen virulensi dan penentuan MIC sebelum dimanfaatkan. Karena gen 16S rRNA tidak dapat memisahkan kelompok L. plantarum maupun membedakan E. faecium dari E. lactis, konfirmasi multilokus (recA, pheS, rpoA) dan pengetikan tingkat galur tetap diperlukan. Kata Kunci: 16S Rrna, Keamanan, Susu Kuda Liar, Susu Mentah, Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum, Probiotik.
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