Survival of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Lactases under Acidic Conditions

Effects of sonication, survival, and β-galactosidase activity of four lactic cultures were investigated in pH 1.5-3.5 range. Lactobacillus delbruekii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus exhibited the highest β-galactosidase activity in skim milk and broth systems, respectively. The β-galactosidases from L. delbruekii subsp. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L. acidophilus showed optimum activity in the neutral pH range and 55°C. Viable count of all four cultures decreased most rapidly at pH 1.5, but L. acidophilus and L. delbruekii subsp. bulgaricus survived better than the other organisms. The decrease of enzyme activity of unsonicated cultures with pH was slight, especially at pH 3.5. However, acidification of sonicated cultures to pH 3.5 or lower resulted in rapid and permanent loss of enzyme activity.