A review of fermentation and the nutritional requirements for effective growth media for lactic acid bacteria

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria are useful microorganisms that are well-known to have probiotic effects and provide foods with unique sensory qualities such as aroma and taste (flavor). Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus are found in many fermented food products and confer several human health benefits. Probiotic strains help to strengthen and boost the human immune system, increasing the body's resistance to a wide range of disease conditions. The food industry’s effort to meet customers' sensory and health demands in dairy and fermented food items has boosted the need for probiotic starter cultures with superior performance and health-beneficial qualities. One of the crucial dairy starter cultures for producing fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese is lactic acid bacteria, particularly L. bulgaricus. An enhanced fermentation media improves the generation of essential metabolites, such as lactic acid and the sensory attribute of fermented food. Therefore, this review aims to present an overview and the importance of lactic acid bacteria in fermentation. The review also presents information on specific nutritional requirements of growth media for fermentation purposes as well as new classifications and views on the present commercial applications of these healthy bacteria.