Lactobacillus plantarum as a malolactic starter culture in winemaking: A new (old) player?

BRIZUELA, NATALIA; LA HENS, DANAY VALDES; BRAVO-FERRADA, BARBARA; SEMORILE, LILIANA C.; HOLLMANN, AXEL; TYMCZYSZYN, ELIZABETH E.; DELFEDERICO, LUCRECIA

ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

UNIV CATOLICA DE VALPARAISO

Año: 2019 vol. 38 p. 10 - 18

0717-3458

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is the process responsible for the conversion of L-malic acid to L-lactic acid and CO2, which reduces total acidity, improves biological stability and modifies the aroma profile of wine. MLF takes place during or after alcoholic fermentation and is carried out by one or more species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in grapes and cellars. Traditionally, Oenococcus oeni is the major LAB used in commercial starter cultures for MLF. Although, in the last decade some Lb. plantarum were reported as malolactic starters; many works showed that Lb.plantarum strains can survive and even grow in harsh condition of wine (i.e. high ethanol content and low pHs). Furthermore, it was proved that some strains of Lb. plantarum were able to conduct MLF just as efficiently as O. oeni. In addition, Lb. plantarum exhibits a more diverse enzymatic profile than O. oeni, which could play an important role in the modification of the wine aroma profile. This enzymatic diversity allows the possibility to obtain several starter cultures, composed of different Lb. plantarum biotypes, which could result distinctive wines. In this context, this review focuses on showing the relevance of Lb. plantarum as a MLF starter culture in winemaking.