Growth and Metabolism of Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria in Synthetic Wine

¹ Horticulture and Food Research Institute, Ltd., Palmerston North, New Zealand
² George Weston Foods Laboratories, P.O. Box 1, Enfield, NSW 2136, Australia
³ Department of Food Technology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

A chemically defined synthetic wine was used to study the growth and metabolism of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Leuconostoc oenos 122 and 252 grew well at initial pH 4.0 and 3.2. Pediococcus parvulus 93 and Lactobacillus plantarum 49 also grew well at initial pH 4.0, but were inhibited at initial pH 3.5. A variety of sugars (pentoses, hexoses, and disaccharides) were utilized by leuconostocs and Lb. plantarum, but only mannose, glucose, and trehalose were fermented by Pd. parvulus. Glucose and trehalose were preferentially utilized over other sugars by leuconostocs at initial pH 4. Polyols, including tetriols, pentitols, and hexitols, were formed by all strains at initial pH 4. The polyol mannitol, however, was utilized by Lb. plantarum. Sugar utilization was greatly decreased and polyol formation (except mannitol) was not observed with leuconostocs at pH 3.2. L-Malic acid was metabolized by all strains with the formation of lactic acid. Citric acid was also degraded by the strains studied except for Pd. parvulus. L-Arginine was degraded by leuconostocs only with the production of ornithine and ammonia at pH 4, but not at pH 3.2. L-Malic acid, citric acid and L-arginine could not support growth of any LAB without the presence of a fermentable carbohydrate. This study highlights the need for more basic research on the metabolism of wine LAB.

Key words: lactic acid bacteria, metabolism, synthetic wine

Submitted on August 17, 1993

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