Assessment of the coloring strength of brevibacterium linens strains: spectrocolorimetry versus total carotenoid extraction/quantification.

Brevibacterium linens is a major component of red-smear cheese microflora and imparts color to the cheese rind. The present study was done to evaluate carotenoid contents in 29 strains of this bacterium and to relate the color of the strains to the carotenoids present. A spectrocolorimeter was used to determine the color, and the carotenoid contents were determined by spectrophotorimetric measurement at 450 nm. Regression analysis was carried out on the color values a*, b*, and C* to determine which color value could be used to express the contents of carotenoids in B. linens biomass. The C* color value appeared to be the best estimate for correlation.