Acid production and proteolytic activity of Lactobacillus strains isolated from dry sausages

The acid-producing capacity and proteolytic activity of 13 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and 5 strains of Lactobacillus casei isolated from dry sausages was determined at different temperatures and at different NaCl concentrations. Most strains exhibited a maximum acid-producing rate at 30°C. According to the acidification rate at this temperature, strains were divided into three rate groups: fast (I), medium (II) and slow (III), with titratable acidity values above 1.7, between 0.7 and 1.4, and below 0.7, respectively. The decrease in pH ranged between 3.1 and 3.95 according to the group to which the strains belonged. The addition of 3% NaCl produced a marked decrease in the rate of acidification for strains in group II, a slight decrease for those in group I and no effect for those in group III. The proteolytic activity of the strains under study reached a maximum at 40°C, with values between 5.2 and 10 mg% tyrosine released. At 30°C, and in the presence of 3% NaCl, the greatest activity (5.4 mg% tyrosine) was observed in L. plantarum GV 417 and the lowest (3.4 mg% tyrosine) in L. plantarum GV 420. A decrease of approximately 80% in proteolytic activity for all strains was observed in the presence of 5% NaCl.