Increased Survival of Lactococcus lactis Strains Subjected to Freeze-Drying after Cultivation in an Acid Medium: Involvement of Membrane Fluidity Cultivation in Acid Medium to Improve Bacterial Survival of Freeze-Drying

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: Freeze-drying is the most widely used dehydration process in the food industry for the stabilization of bacteria. Studies have shown the effectiveness of an acid prestress in increasing the resistance of lactic acid bacteria to freeze-drying. Adaptation of bacteria to an acid stress is based on maintaining the properties of the plasma membrane. Indeed, the fatty acid composition of the membrane of lactic acid bacteria is often changed after an acid prestress. However, few studies have measured membrane fluidity after an acid stress during lactic acid bacterial strain cultivation. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In order to use two pH profiles, the strains Lactococcus lactis NCDO 712 and NZ9000 were cultivated in two media, without any pH control. The two pH profiles obtained were representative of the initial medium composition, medium buffering properties and strain metabolism. Absorbance at 600 nm and pH were measured during bacterial cultivation. Then, the two strains were freeze-dried and their survival rates determined. Membrane fluidity was evaluated by fluorescence anisotropy measurements using a spectrofluorometer. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Cultivation under more acidic conditions significantly increased the survival during freeze-drying (p<0.05, ANOVA) of both strains. Moreover, in both strains of L. lactis, a more acidic condition during cultivation significantly increased membrane fluidity (p<0.05, ANOVA). Our results revealed that cultivation under such conditions, fluidifies the membrane and allows a better survival during freeze-drying of the two L. lactis strains. A more fluid membrane can facilitate membrane deformation and lateral reorganization of membrane components, critical for the maintenance of cellular integrity during dehydration and rehydration. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: A better understanding of the involvement of membrane properties, especially of membrane fluidity, in bacterial resistance to dehydration is provided in this study.