Use of dairy by-products for the production of biomass of autochthonous probiotic bacteria.

LAVARI L; PAEZ, R.; CUATRIN, A; VINDEROLA, G.

Congreso; 16th World Congress of Food Science and Technology; 2012

Probiotic bacteria are live cultures that when administered in adequate amounts can confer a health benefit on the host. In Argentina, they are included in fermented milks and fresh cheeses and all strains presently used have a foreign origin. Cheese and ricotta whey and whey permeate are by-products of the manufacture process of cheese and ricotta. Some of them can have a negative environmental impact if not handled with responsibility. The aim of this work was to assess the potential of use of these dairy-by products for the production and conservation of biomass of probiotic bacteria for the development of Argentinean probiotic cultures using autochthonous strains. L. gasseri 37, L.paracasei JP1 and L. rhamnosus 64 were isolated from infant stools in Santa Fe and showed immunomodulating capacity in mice, and can be then considered potential probiotics. The growth capacity of these strains was assessed in cheese and ricotta whey and in whey permeate, using commercial MRS broth as control. Additionally, MRS broth was formulated from individual ingredients obtained from local providers and the growth of those strains was assessed in it, again using commercial MRS broth as control. The biomass obtained was spray-dried in cheese whey as thermoprotectant, vacuum-sealed and cell viability was assessed every two months in the powders obtained, maintained at 5°C. Cheese whey was the culture medium were the highest biomass was obtained, comparable to the yields observed in MRS. Additionally, cells spray-dried in cheese whey showed satisfactory viability after 2 months of storage. Cheese whey proved to be of double utility: biomass production and thermoprotectant (for spray drying and storage) for the production of biomass of probiotic bacteria from authoctonous lactobacilli strains.