lactobacilli : Their Role and Importance in Contemporary Food and Pharmaceutical Industry Past-Present-Future

Biofermentation of otherwise called biotransformation process has been a heavily exploited and vastly researched field of biochemical engineering science. Throughout the the years, especially during the last decades, a great number of of microbial groups has been tested for the production of commonly used chemicals. Due to the forecasted scarcity of petrol, an effort has been done to replace the production of chemicals deriving from petrochemical feedstocks, with fermentation. A group of bacteria that has being widely investigated due to their abilities are Lactic acifd Bacteria (LAB), especially Lactobacilli . These microorganisms have been widely used in today’s food, chemical and pharmaceutical industry.<br><br>These bacteria have numerous features, which are based on their main ability to ferment complex carbohydrates such as the production of acids, enzymes and natural antimicrobial substances called bacteriocins. Currently, they are principally used as natural acidifiers for the inoculation of bulk quantities of milk and vegetables in order to produce a variety of fermented products. some of the most important uses of Lactobacilli in the industry will be reviewed. The production of lactic acid and lantibiotics through the usage of modern fermentation technology, shall be highlighted

生物发酵，又称生物转化工艺，是生化工程领域中被广泛开发与深入研究的重要分支。多年来，尤其是近数十年间，科研人员已针对大量微生物类群开展试验筛选，以生产常用化工制品。鉴于石油资源预计枯竭的行业预测，学界已致力于采用发酵工艺替代以石化原料为底物的化学品生产路径。其中，乳酸菌（Lactic Acid Bacteria, LAB）因其独特性能被广泛研究，尤以乳酸杆菌属（Lactobacilli）为代表。这类微生物现已广泛应用于现代食品、化工与制药工业。
该类细菌具备诸多优良特性，核心源于其可发酵复杂碳水化合物的能力，借此可合成有机酸、酶制剂以及名为细菌素（bacteriocins）的天然抗菌物质。当前，它们主要作为天然酸化剂，用于大规模接种牛乳与蔬菜基质，以制备多样化的发酵制品。本文将综述乳酸杆菌属在工业中的若干核心应用场景，并重点阐述依托现代发酵技术生产乳酸与羊毛硫抗生素（lantibiotics）的工艺。