title: Prolonging the viability of Lactobacillus plantarum through the addition of prebiotics into the medium.
abstract: This article reports on the effects of prebiotics on the growth/death kinetics, metabolism, and biomass production by 2 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (c19 and DSMZ 2601, isolated from table olives and purchased from a Public Collection, respectively). The research was divided into 3 different steps, in order to highlight the optimal combination for cell viability and experiments were performed under the conditions of an accelerated shelf life test; thus, 3 combinations were pointed out (fructooligosaccharides [FOS], 5 g/L; glucose + inulin, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L; glucose + FOS, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L). A sample containing only glucose was used as control. The results highlighted that the 3 combinations aforementioned prolonged cell viability over the time both under low and high inoculum conditions (3 and 9 log CFU/mL, respectively); however, FOS alone caused a reduction of biomass production, even if cell number was not affected by this compound. Therefore, as a final result of this research, the combination glucose + FOS could be proposed as a suitable mean to achieve an optimal production of biomass and prolong cell viability over the time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food producers require a prolonged viability of probiotic bacteria in functional foods; this goal is usually achieved by refrigeration. In this article, the prolongation of cell viability through the addition of prebiotics was proposed.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science, Univ. of Foggia, and Food Quality and Health Research Center, 71122, Foggia, Italy. c.altieri@unifg.it
authors.forename: Clelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Altieri
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinigaglia
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003911:Dextrans / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007558:Italy; D007700:Kinetics; D048191:Lactiplantibacillus plantarum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism; D050296:Microbial Viability; D031658:Olea / Q000382:microbiology; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D056692:Prebiotics; D019936:Probiotics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D007792:Lactulose; D007444:Inulin; D005947:Glucose; C014635:lactitol