GROWTH OF LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS NCFM IN DEPENDENCE ON TEMPERATURE

Environmental factors, including temperature and nutrient composition, have considerable impact on the growth dynamic of each microbial species; moreover it is strongly dependent on the selected strain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and analyse the growth dynamics of the strain Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (Howaru) by predictive microbiology tools. The intensity of Lb. acidophilus NCFM growth in MRS broth and in milk was significantly affected by the incubation temperature described by the Gibson's model, from which the optimal temperature for the Lb. acidophilus growth of 40.5 degrees C in MRS broth and 40.1 degrees C in milk was calculated. These cardinal temperatures were verified with the CTMI model providing also other cardinal (minimal T-min, maximal T-max, and optimal T-opt) values for Lb. acidophilus NCFM growth T-opt = 40.2 degrees C, T-min = 15.4 degrees C, T-max = 46.0 degrees C and T-opt = 40.3 degrees C, T-min = 14.3 degrees C, T-max = 46.6 degrees C in MRS broth and in milk, respectively.