Interaction between Oenococcus oeni and Lactobacillus hilgardii isolated from wine. Modification of available nitrogen and biogenic amine production.

During the mixed culture of Lactobacillus hilgardii 5w, a common spoilage wine bacteria and Oenococcus oeni X(2)L, an amensalistic growth response of the malolactic bacteria was produced due to a competition for nitrogenous nutrients, mainly peptides. Arginine was fully consumed and peptide concentration diminished 60% with respect to both pure cultures at the end of exponential growth. Histamine release increased 34% with respect to L. hilgardii single culture. Under the poor nutritional conditions present during winemaking, L. hilgardii could increase histamine production and adversely affect malolactic fermentation conducted by O. oeni and hence the quality of the final product.