Production of D- and L-Lactic Acid by Mono- and Mixed Cultures of Lactobacillus sp.

Antonija Trontel, Ana Batušić, Ivana Gusić, Anita Slavica*, Božidar Šantek and Srđan Novak

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemical Engineering, Pierottijeva 6/IV, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Article history:
Received November 30, 2010
Accepted January 26, 2011

Key words:
monoculture, mixed culture, Lactobacillus sp., batch fermentation, L-(+)- and/or D-(–)-lactic acid, bacteriocin, amensalism, mathematical model

Summary:
Batch cultivation of monoculture of Lactobacillus sp. and two–strain mixed culture of Lactobacillus sp. and Lactobacillus amylovorus DSM 20531T was carried out with the aim of producing L-(+)- and D-(–)/L-(+)-lactic acid to be implemented in poly(lactic acid) polymer production. Metabolic capacity of two Lactobacillus strains to ferment different carbon sources (glucose, sucrose or soluble starch) during cultivation in MRS medium at 40 °C, in a laboratory-scale stirred tank bioreactor was defined. Lactobacillus sp. showed similar affinity towards mono- and disaccharide substrates, which were homofermentatively converted mostly to L-(+)-lactic acid. L. amylovorus DSM 20531^T has been characterized as a D/L-lactate producer and it is capable of conducting simultaneous saccharification and fermentation.Due to the interaction of Lactobacillus sp. with L. amylovorus DSM 20531^T, starch was hydrolysed and fermented to the mixture of L-(+)- and D-(–)-lactic acid. Modified Luedeking-Piret kinetics used for the description of substrate utilization, growth of mono- and mixed cultures and production of lactic acid stereoisomers showed good agreement with experimentaldata.

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