FEDERAL TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL

TRAINING INSTITUTION

TITTLE
ROLE OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA IN MILK
FERMENTATION AND PRESERVATION.
1.INTRODUCTION
Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) :-
• Used for the production of milk and milk products like yogurt,
cheese, buttermilk and kafir.
• Species used for LAB belong to the group of gram-positive
bacteria including the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus,
Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus.
They are recognized:-
1. For their fermentation ability
2. Enhancing food safety,
3. Improving organoleptic attributes,
4. Enriching nutrients and increasing health benefits (Panesar,
2011; Steele et al., 2013).
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• Due to the characteristics of milk is highly perishable:-
• The main purpose of milk fermentation using LAB is to prolong its
shelf-life as well as to preserve the nutritious component of milk.
• The presence of LAB in milk fermentation can be either
spontaneous or inoculated starter cultures. (Delavenne et al.,
2012; ).
• In general, the technology of milk fermentation is relatively simple
and cost-effective.
• On the other hand, standardized fermented milk products are
produced and manufactured in large-scale production under
application of LAB as starter cultures.
• There are some important features of LAB starters in fermented
milk products.
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• A single potential starter culture will dominate and reduce the
diversity of microorganisms in fermented milk products compared
to that of products under natural fermentation.
• Using LAB in milk fermentation and preservation is indispensable
to improve milk palatability and quality.
• Therefore, reviewing sensible findings on LAB function in milk
fermentation and preservation seems to be a milestone area to
deliver combined information to the beneficiaries.
Objective
• General objective
To review the role of lactic acid bacteria in milk fermentation and preservation.
• Specific objective
To review the role of lactic acid on milk fermentation and preservation.
 2.Literature review

• LAB is widespread in nature and predominate in microflora in milk and milk

products; (Ayad et al., 2004).
• The LAB used in the dairy fermentation can be divided into two groups on the
basis of their growth optimum.
• Mesophilic lactic acid bacteria have an optimum growth temperature between
20 and 30°C and the thermophilic have their optimum between 30 and 45°C.
• TheLAB can be mainly divided into two groups based on the end products
formed during the fermentation of glucose.
• Homofermentative LAB such as Pediococcus, Streptococcus, and Lactococcus
produce lactic acid as the product of glucose fermentation.
• Heterofermentative LAB such as Weissella and Leuconostoc produce equimolar
amounts of lactate, CO2 and ethanol from glucose (Kuipers et al., 2000).
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• LAB used in food fermentation, including the production of milk products, and
its proteolytic activity is very important in producing flavor compounds of end
product (Moulay et al., 2013).
• Proteolytic system of LAB is important for the growth of microorganisms in
casein utilization within LAB cells and give contribution to the development of
organoleptic properties of fermented milk products (Moulay et al., 2013).
• Starter cultures of LAB were obtained from a process of isolation, selection
and confirmation.
• The most important properties of LAB are:
• Their ability to acidify milk and to generate flavor and texture, by converting
milk protein due to their proteolytic activities (Mäyrä and Bigret, 2004).
• The mild acid taste and pleasant freshness are characteristics of fermented milk
products such as yogurt and cheese (Kongo, 2013).
 2.1 Health promoting property of lactic acid bacteria

• Fermented milk products are contribute to human health through

several mechanisms (Sharma et al., 2012).
• Certain lactic acid bacteria strains of the general Lactobacillus, are
utilized as health promoting bacteria (Saxelin et al., 2005),
• while certain Lactobacillus strains like L. helveticus are believed
to :
1. Produce bioactive health beneficial peptides from casein protein of
milk and effect of antihypertensive
2. Immune modulator activity
3. Anticancer and calcium binding ability.
• L.helveticus is known as one of LAB which has efficiently utilized.
(Nouaille et al., 2003).
 2.2.1 Antimicrobial compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria
Table 1. The main lactic acid bacteria associated with milk and milk product
fermentation.
Species/ subspecies Their main uses in different milk products
Lactococcus Mesophilic starter used for many cheese types, butter and
Lc. Lactis subsp. butter milk.
Lactis
Lc. lactis subsp. Used in Gouda, Edam, sour cream and lactic butter and butter
Lactis biovar diacetylactis milk.
Lc. Lactis subsp. Mesophilic starter used for many cheese types, butter and
cremoris butter milk.
StreptococcusSc. Thermophilic starter used for yogurt and many cheese
thermophilus types’particularly hard and semi hard high-cook cheeses.

Lactobacillus acidophilus Probiotic adjunct culture used in cheese and yogurt

Lb. delbrueckii subsp. Thermophilic starter for yogurt and many cheese
Bulgaricus types,particularly hard and semi hard high-cook cheeses.

Lb.delbrueckisubsp. Used in fermented milks and high-cook cheese.

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Lb. helveticus Thermophilic starter for fermented milks and many cheese
typesparticularly hard and semi hard high-cook cheeses

Lb. casei Probiotic milk and cheese ripening adjunct culture

Lb. plantarum Cheese ripening adjunct culture.

Lb. rhamnosus Probiotic adjunct culture used in cheese

LeuconostocLn. Mesophilic culture used for Edam, Gouda, fresh cheese, lactic
mesenteroides subsp. butter and our cream.
cremoris

Lb. =Lactobacillus; Lc. =Lactococcus; Ln.=Leuconostoc; Sc.=Streptococcus, subsp.= subspecies.

 Table 2. Health benefits when milk is fermented.

Effect of fermentation Changes in milk Effect on health

• Increase in lactic acid • Reduced lactose content • No diarrhea and bloating

bacteria levels in milk and • Improved gut health
• content of bad bacteria • protection from bacterial vaginosis
and
• fungal infections in women
• Ability to digest remaining lactose
in the fermented milk
• Breakdown to shorter of • Identification of casein • Easier digestion
chain proteins peptides and • Some with antihypertensive effects
• whey peptides with • Some with pain relief effects
functional • Some with immune enhancing
properties properties
• Increased acidity • Sharpness of taste • Prevents harmful bacterial growth
in milk
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• LABs are also known to produce protein antimicrobial agents such as
bacteriocins (Aymerich et al., 2000).
• Bacteriocins are peptides that elicit antimicrobial activity against milk spoilage
organisms and food borne pathogens.
• but do not affect the producing organisms.
• LAB also synthesizes other antimicrobial compounds such as hydrogen peroxide,
reuterin, and reutericyclin (Leroy and Vuyst, 2004).
• In this manner, fermented milk is used to prevent and to alleviate diarrhea.
• The consumption of food products rich in LAB helps to less severe abdominal
cramps.
• Generally, bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteinaceous compounds that are
inhibitory towards sensitive strains and produced by both Gram-positive and
Gram-negative bacteria (Tagg et al., 1976).
 2.2.2 Lactic acid bacteria as functional starter culture.
• The most important application of lactic acid bacteria is their use as starter strains
in the manufacture of various fermented dairy products.
• Particularly, Streptococcus thermophilus, L. lactis, L. helveticus, and L.
delbrueckii subsp.
• Bulgaricus are widely used as milk starter cultures.
• S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus are the two bacteria required to make yogurt
Lactobacillus casei is frequently found in cheeses.
• The proper selection and balance of lactic acid bacteria used for starter culture is
critical for the manufacture of milk fermented food products with their desirable
texture and flavor.
• Starter cultures of LAB can be either mesophilic from the general of Lactococcus
and Leuconostoc or Thermophilic from the general of Streptococcus and
Lactobacillus (Fox et al., 2004).
• L. Helveticus is a specialized milk species and belongs to the dairy niche
species. Several cheese products are based on L. helveticus as starter
culture(Slaterry et al., 2010).
 2.2.3 Preservative property of lactic acid bacteria
• Milk is a highly perishable food raw material.
• LAB has a long and safe history of application and consumption, namely
in cheese processing ( Giraffa et al., 2010).
• Fermentation makes the milk palatable by enhancing its aroma and flavor.
• These organoleptic properties make fermented food more popular than the
unfermented one in terms of consumer acceptance.
• The lowering of the pH to below 4°C through acid production, inhibits the
growth of pathogenic microorganisms which can cause food spoilage, food
poisoning and disease (Ananou et al., 2007).
• LAB fermented foods have lactic acid as the main preservative since lactic
acid bacterial growth is accompanied by the production of lactic and acetic
acids with decrease in pH and increase in titratable acidity.
• Using LAB fermentation for detoxification is more advantageous in that it
is a milder method
 3.CONCLUSION AND SUMMERY
• Lactic acid bacteria are a broad group of Gram-positive organisms.
• Mainly used as a starter strains, particularly, S. thermophilus, L. lactis, L.
helveticus, and L. delbrueckii subsp.
• bulgaricus which are widely used as milk starter cultures.
• Lactic acid bacteria have an essential role in milk fermentation and
preservation
• This is mainly due to the production of organic acids. Therefore, lactic acid
bacteria exert strong antagonistic activity against many microorganisms,
including milk spoilage organisms and pathogens.
• Milk fermentation is profitable in terms of improving milk quality, preservation
and decontamination of toxins, often found in food.
• Fermentation with LAB is a cheap and effective milk preservation method leads
to improvement in texture, flavor and nutritional value of many milk products.
• Education of communities about benefits of consuming fermented milk and milk
products needs to be part of health education.