The effect of temperature on L-lactic acid production and metabolite distribution of Lactobacillus casei.

The effect of temperature on the growth and L-lactic acid production of Lactobacillus casei G-03 was investigated in a 7-L bioreactor. It was found that the maximum specific growth rate (0.27 hr⁻¹) and L-lactic acid concentration (160.2 g L⁻¹) were obtained at a temperature of 41°C. Meanwhile, the maximum L-lactic acid yield, productivity, and dry cell weight were up to 94.1%, 4.44 g L⁻¹ hr⁻¹, and 4.30 g L⁻¹, respectively. At lower or higher temperature, the Lactobacillus casei G-03 showed lower acid production and biomass. Moreover, the main metabolite distribution of strain G-03 response to variations in temperatures was studied. The results suggested that temperature has a remarkable effect on metabolite distribution, and the maximum carbon flux toward lactic acid at the pyruvate node was obtained at 41°C, which had the minimum carbon flux toward acetic acid.