Assoc. Prof. Šárka Horáčková, MSc, PhD

Working group: Dairy and Microbiology

Pedagogical activity:

Courses for BSc. degree:

• Lectures Probiotics and Functional Food I

Courses for MSc. degree:

• Lectures and seminar Probiotics and Functional Foods II
• Lectures and seminar Microbiology of Food and Cosmetics
• Laboratory of food technology and process control (microbiology), 
• Technological project

 Supervision of bachelor's and diploma theses, supervision of student projects.

 Supervision of disertation thesis

Scientific activity:

• Properties of lactic acid bacteria, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic resistance
• Probiotic microorganisms in dairy products and in non-dairy media
• Functional properties of probiotics (stability in the digestive tract, BSH activity)
• Hybrid foods, fermented products
• Complex microbiota of cheeses - new methods of evaluating its composition and safety for subsequent use in cheese technology – grant of Ministry of Agriculture, Czech Rep. NAZV QL24010251
• Postbiotics, bacterial polysaccharides and new oligosaccharides for functional symbiotic fermented products – grant of Ministry of Agriculture, Czech Rep. NAZV QK22010186

Past projects:

• New processes for the production of functional cereal and dairy foods and functional beverages containing bioactive components from selected plant and animal agricultural raw materials using probiotic microorganisms and procedures for assessing their quality; grant NAZV QI 101B090
• New processes for the use of agricultural raw materials and the production of the main types of food, increasing their quality, safety, competitiveness and nutritional value for consumers; grant NAZV QI 111B053
• Colostrum as a source of new primary products in food and food supplements; grant NAZV QJ 210376
• Exploiting the potential of different metabolites of wild strains of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to suppress the occurrence of undesirable fungal contaminants and extend the shelf life of dairy and bakery products; grant NAZV QK1910036

Other activities:

• Member of  Standing Committee on Dairy Science and Technology of International Dairy Federation
• Member of the Society for Probiotics and Prebiotics CZ
• Member of the Scientific Council of the Dairy Research Institute
• Member of the editorial board of the journal "Mlékařské listy" (Dairy Journal)

Education:

• 1983 – 1987 Prague Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Prague (Department of Milk and Fat Technology, specialization in dairy chemistry and technology)
• 1987 – 1988 Department of Milk and Fat Technology, fellowship
• 1988 – 1991 PhD in Chemistry and Technology of Food at the ICT, Prague (Proteolysis of milk proteins)

Employment experiences:

• 1991 – 1993 assistant professor, Department of Dairy and Fat Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
• 1993 – 2005 ECM, joint stock company, back-office management, analyst, member of the supervisory board
• 1994 – 1999 member of the board of HMZ, joint stock company
• 2003 – 2004 secretary of the organizing committee of the IDF Symposium on Cheese in Prague
• 2008 – 2011 researcher at the Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics, UCT Prague
• 2011 – 2021 assistant professor at the Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics, UCT Prague
• 2021 – until now associate professor the Department of Dairy, Fat and Cosmetics, UCT Prague

Foreing fellowship:

• 1989 Tallin Technical University, Estonia
• 1992 International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biochemistry, Trieste, Itálie
• 2011 Centro de Referencia Para Lactobacilos, Tucumán, Argentina

Selected scientific papers since 2015:

 ORCID ID 0000-0001-7182-6529

• Horackova, S., Musilova, E., Plockova, M., Vrchotova, B., Klojdova, I., & Stetina, J. (2026). Evaluation of Hybrid Fermented Milk-Soy Products and Their Potential Microbial Contamination. ACS Food Science & Technology. doi:10.1021/acsfoodscitech.5c01042
• Ikombayev, Talgat, Aynagul Ospanova, Akkenzhe Omarova, Šárka Horáčková, Aigerim Tuganbay, Gulmira Kassenova, Venera Zhamurova, Sarzhan Sharipova, and Zhulduz Suleimenova. "Functional Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Raw Goat Milk and Cottage Cheese." Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 21 (2025). https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2025.101822
• Veselá, K., Plocková, M., Musilová, E., Vrchotová, B., & Horáčková, Š. (2025). Synbiotic yoghurt with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and plant powder substrates. Czech Journal of Food Sciences, 43(5), 358-364. doi:10.17221/93/2025-cjfs
• Horáčková, Šárka, Blanka Vrchotová, Daniel Koval, Akkenzhe Omarova, Marcela Sluková, and Jiří Štětina. 2022. "Use of Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum for Dairy and Non-Dairy Fermented Products." Czech Journal of Food Sciences 40, no. 5 (2022): 392-99. https://dx.doi.org/10.17221/132/2022-cjfs .
• Klojdová, Iveta, Monika Kumherová, Kristina Veselá, Šárka Horáčková, Markéta Berčíková, and Jiří Štětina. 2022. "The Influence of Heat and Mechanical Stress on Encapsulation Efficiency and Droplet Size of W/O/W Multiple Emulsions." European Food Research and Technology 248, no. 9 (2022): 2303-09. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00217-022-04046-3 .
• Klojdová, Iveta, Monika Kumherová, Kristina Veselá, Šárka Horáčková, and Jiří Štětina. 2022. "Functional W1/O/W2 Model Food Product with Encapsulated Colostrum and High Protein Content." European Food Research and Technology  (2022). https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00217-021-03937-1 .
• Kumherová, Monika, Kristina Veselá, Michaela Kosová, Jaromír Mašata, Šárka Horáčková, and Jan Šmidrkal. 2021. “Novel Potential Probiotic Lactobacilli for Prevention and Treatment of Vulvovaginal Infections.” Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins 13(1):163–72. doi: 10.1007/s12602-020-09675-2.
• Sluková, Marcela, Lucie Jurkaninová, Simona Gillarová, Šárka Horáčková, and Pavel Skřivan. 2021. “Rye – Nutritional and Technological Evaluation in Czech Cereal Technology – A Review: Sourdoughs and Bread.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 39(2):65–70. doi: 10.17221/204/2020-CJFS.
• Feldeková, Eva, Kateřina Solichová, Šárka Horáčková, Monika Kumherová, and Jan Kyselka. 2020. “The Impact of L-Lanthionine Supplementation on the Production of Nisin by Lactococci.” European Food Research and Technology 246(4):845–51. doi: 10.1007/s00217-020-03449-4.
• Horackova, Sarka, Kristina Vesela, Iveta Klojdova, Marketa Bercikova, and Milada Plockova. 2020. “Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity, Growth Characteristics and Surface Properties in Lactobacillus Acidophilus.” European Food Research and Technology 246(8):1627–36. doi: 10.1007/s00217-020-03518-8.
• Klojdová, Iveta, Eva Feldeková, Monika Kumherová, Kristina Veselá, Šárka Horáčková, Jiří Štětina. 2020. “Preparation of Water-in-Oil-in-Water Multiple Emulsions with Potential Use in Food Industry.” Chemical Engineering and Technology 43(3):523–30. doi: 10.1002/ceat.201900394.
• Koval, Daniel, Milada Plocková, Jan Kyselka, Pavel Skřivan, Marcela Sluková, and Šárka Horáčková. 2020. “Buckwheat Secondary Metabolites: Potential Antifungal Agents.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 68(42):11631–43. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04538.
• Kumherová, Monika, Kristina Veselá, Kateřina Jokešová, Iveta Klojdová, and Šárka Horáčková. 2020. “Influence of Co-Encapsulation of Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp. Lactis Bb12 with Inulin and Ascorbic Acid on Its Viability.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 38(1):57–62. doi: 10.17221/292/2019-CJFS.
• Klojdová, Iveta, Jiří Štětina, and Šárka Horáčková. 2019. “W/O/W Multiple Emulsions as the Functional Component of Dairy Products.” Chemical Engineering and Technology 42(4):715–27. doi: 10.1002/ceat.201800586.
• Veselá, Kristina, Monika Kumherová, Iveta Klojdová, Kateřina Solichová, Šárka Horáčková, and Milada Plocková. 2019. “Selective Culture Medium for the Enumeration of Lactobacillus Plantarum in the Presence of Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Subsp. Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus.” Lwt 114. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2019.108365.
• Bialasová, Kristina, Irena Němečková, Jan Kyselka, Jiří Štětina, Kateřina Solichová, and Šárka Horáčková. 2018. “Influence of Flaxseed Components on Fermented Dairy Product Properties.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 36(1):51–56. doi: 10.17221/411/2017-CJFS.
• Horackova, Sarka, Tereza Novakova, Marcela Slukova, Kristina Bialasova, Monika Kumherova, and Milada Plockova. 2018. “Antifungal Activity of Selected Lactobacilli Intended for Sourdough Production.” Applied Food Biotechnology 5(4):213–20. doi: 10.22037/afb.v%vi%i.22173
• Horáčková, Šárka, Milada Plocková, and Kateřina Demnerová. 2018. “Importance of Microbial Defence Systems to Bile Salts and Mechanisms of Serum Cholesterol Reduction.” Biotechnology Advances 36(3):682–90. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.12.005.
• Horáčková, Sárka, Kristýna Rokytová, Kristina Bialasová, Iveta Klojdová, and Marcela Sluková. 2018. “Fruit Juices with Probiotics – New Type of Functional Foods.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 36(4):284–88. doi: 10.17221/39/2018-CJFS.
• Kracmarová, Martina, Hana Stiborová, Šárka Horácková, and Katerina Demnerová. 2018. “Rapid Detection of Microbial Contamination in UHT Milk: Practical Application in Dairy Industry.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 36(5):357–64. doi: 10.17221/24/2018-CJFS.
• Kyselka, Jan, Roman Bleha, Miroslav Dragoun, Kristýna Bialasová, Šárka Horáčková, Martin Schätz, Marcela Sluková, Vladimír Filip, and Andriy Synytsya. 2018. “Antifungal Polyamides of Hydroxycinnamic Acids from Sunflower Bee Pollen.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 66(42):11018–26. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b03976.
• Horáčková, Š., A. Mühlhansová, and M. Plocková. 2017. “Interaction between bile acids and probiotic microorganisms.” Chemicke Listy 111(4):246-250.
• Sluková, Marcela, Julie Levková, Alena Michalcová, Šárka Horáčková, and Pavel Skřivan. 2017. “Effect of the Dough Mixing Process on the Quality of Wheat and Buckwheat Proteins.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 35(6):522–31. doi: 10.17221/220/2017-CJFS.
• Horáčková, Šárka, Andrea Mühlhansová, Marcela Sluková, Věra Schulzová, and Milada Plocková. 2015. “Fermentation of Soymilk by Yoghurt and Bifidobacteria Strains.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 33(4):313–19. doi: 10.17221/115/2015-CJFS.
• Sedláčková, Pavla, Šárka Horáčková, Tiange Shi, Michaela Kosová, and Milada Plocková. 2015. “Two Different Methods for Screening of Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity in Lactobacillus Strains.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 33(1):13–18. doi: 10.17221/299/2014-CJFS.
• Sluková, Marcela, Miroslav Kubín, Šárka Horáčková, and Josef Příhoda. 2015. “Application of Amylographic Method for Determination of the Staling of Bakery Products.” Czech Journal of Food Sciences 33(6):507–12. doi: 10.17221/184/2015-CJFS.