Abstract
Extensive empirical research has been published on the fermentation of vegetables, but little predictive modeling of the process is available. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of key variables involved in cucumber fermentation and to develop models for predicting the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum in pure and mixed culture fermentations. The growth medium for the studies was cucumber juice. The effects of various concentrations of lactic, acetic, and hydochloric acids and sodium chloride on growth at 30° C were determined in batch culture. Limiting conditions for growth were pH 3.37 (lower limit), 69 mm undissociated lactic acid, 150 mm undissociated acetic acid, or 11.8% NaCl. Acetic acid was stimulatory to growth at low concentrations (up to 40 mm) but inhibitory at higher concentrations. Lactic acid was more inhibitory than acetic acid, whether total or undissociated concentrations were used as the basis of comparison. A predictive equation for specific growth rate was developed, tested, and shown to predict growth of L. plantarum in batch processes reasonably well.
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Mention of a trademark or proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U. S. Department of Agriculture or North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, nor does it imply approval to the exclusion of other products that may be suitable
Correspondence to: H. P. Fleming
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Passos, F.V., Fleming, H.P., Ollis, D.F. et al. Modeling the specific growth rate of Lactobacillus plantarum in cucumber extract. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 40, 143–150 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170443
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170443