KINETICS STUDY OF THE GROWTH OF Lactobacillus bulgaricus FROM CAROB PODS SYRUP

The objective of this work consists in valuing the carob pods (very rich in sugars and in nourishing elements) as being a medium of culture for growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and comparison this natural syrup with MRS medium for lactic acid production curve. By its biochemical composition, the carob syrup is very rich in carbohydrates 16 g/L, protein 0.25 %, ash 0.8% including potassium (110 mg/100 mL of MF), sodium (80) and calcium (150). Kinetics study of growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus in MRS and carob pods syrup showed that high biomass and lactic acid were obtained in the end of carob fermentations respectively (5.51 and 13.8) compared to MRS fermentation (4.57 and 10.9). This study clearly showed that carob pods have potential to be used as feedstock for lactic acid production by Lactobacillus bulgaricus using batch culture. Keyword: Carob pods syrup, fermentation, Lactobacillus bulgaricus.