Effect of inulin on the growth and metabolism of a probiotic strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in co-culture with Streptococcus thermophilus

Metabolic studies are very important to improve quality of functional dairy products. For this purpose, the behaviors of pure cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus (St) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr) as well a co-culture of them (St–Lr) were investigated during skim milk fermentation, and the inulin effect as prebiotic was assessed. Lr was able to metabolize 6 g/100 g more galactose than St and St–Lr. Final lactic acid production by Lr was higher (9.8 g/L) compared to St (9.1 g/L) and St–Lr (9.1 g/L). Acetic acid concentration varied from 0.8 g/L (St–Lr) to 1.5 g/L (Lr) and that of ethanol from only 0.2 g/L (St–Lr) to 0.4 g/L (Lr), which suggests the occurrence in Lr of a NADH oxidase activity and citrate co-metabolization via pyruvate, both dissipating a part of the reducing power. Diacetyl and acetoin accumulated at the highest levels (18.4 and 0.8 mg/L, respectively) with St–Lr, which suggests possible synergistic interactions between these microorganisms as well as the Lr capability of co-metabolizing citrate in the presence of lactose. Inulin stimulated both biomass growth and levels of all end-products, as the likely result of fructose release from its partial hydrolysis and subsequent metabolization as an additional carbon and energy source. ► Pure cultures or binary co-culture of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were studied. ► A synergistic interaction took place between S. thermophilus and L. rhamnosus. ► The co-culture produced more diacetyl and acetoin than pure cultures. ► Inulin stimulated biomass growth and levels of all metabolic end-products.