Antagonism between lactic acid bacteria of wines: inhibition of Leuconostoc oenos by Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus

Abstract

In both grape juice and culture broth, lactic acid bacteria belonging to all the species found in wines interacted. Cultivation modified growth media in such a way that when added to fresh media they inhibited subsequent growth. Two strains, a Lactobacillus plantarum and a Pediococcus pentosaceus exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect against all the bacteria tested, especially Leuconostoc oenos. This effect was due to accumulation in the medium of some unidentified compounds. Added to the culture broth, the extracts prepared from L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus cultivated media did decrease the Lc. oenos growth rate and the final cell density, but they did not kill the bacteria and completely inhibit growth. They were not strictly strain-specific, several strains of Lc. oenos were inhibited. Some properties of the active substances were investigated. These substances were small, less than 1000 Da and thermostable. Their activity was altered by proteolytic treatments and heating.