Characterisation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus VT1 and its effect on the growth of Candida maltosa YP1

Abstract

The combined effect of initial amount of 18 h <i>L. rhamnosus</i> VT1 inoculum and incubation temperature on the growth of <i>Candida maltosa</i> YP1, an oxidative food spoilage yeast strain, was primarily modelled and studied by standard response surface methodology. This study resulted in the following linear regression equations characterising lag time and growth rate of <i>C. maltosa</i> YP1 in milk in competition with the potentially protective lactobacillus strain. Lag-phase of <i>C. maltosa</i> was strongly influenced by the amount of lactobacillus inoculum (<i>V</i><sub>0</sub>) and incubation temperature (1/<i>T</i>). The synergic effect of both these factors was also evident as results from the equation lag = –33.50 + 186.38 × <i>V</i><sub>0</sub> × 1/<i>T</i> + 512.27 × 1/<i>T</i> – 5.511 × <i>V</i><sub>0</sub> (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup><sub>(λ)</sub> = 0.849). The growth rate was sufficiently described by the linear relation: <i>Gr</i><sub>Cm</sub> = –0.00046 + 0.0033 × <i>T</i> – 0.0016 × <i>V</i><sub>0 (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup><sub>(Gr)</sub> = 0.847). On the basis of these equations, the mutual microbial interactions and the potential application of the lactobacillus strains to food protection are discussed.