Protective Effect of Cryoprotectants on the Viability of Freeze-Dried Lactobacillus fermentum SK152

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cryoprotectants on the storage stability of Lactobacillus fermentum SK152, which was isolated as a probiotic candidate. Solutions of 10% glucose, trehalose, dextrin, and skim milk powder were used as cryoprotectants. The survival rates of L. fermentum SK152 after freeze-drying were 5.6% (dextrin), 2.2% (skim milk powder), 1.7% (glucose), and 1.5% (trehalose), suggesting that dextrin was most effective at minimizing the cell death of L. fermentum SK152 by lyophilization. The survival rates of L. fermentum SK152 stored at 4℃ ranged from 37% (dextrin) – 90% (skim milk powder) after 8 weeks, while those at 20℃ ranged from 4% (dextrin) – 12% (skim milk powder) after 7 weeks, indicating that skim milk powder was the best at minimizing the cell death of L. fermentum SK152 during storage, irrespective of storage temperature, among the cryoprotectants used.