Effect of culture conditions on production of butter flavor compounds by Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillus acidophilus in semisolid maize-based cultures

Two series of 120 h mixed cultures of Pediococcus pentosaceus MITJ-10 and Lactobacillus acidophilus Hansen 1748 were grown in semisolid maize-based media, applying an orthogonal factorial design in order to establish the most adequate parameters to get compounds related to butter-like flavor. Conditions of maize pre-treatment established in the first series were hot lime-treatment for 20 min, grinding and sieving to 0.0165 in., partial defatting and cooking for 25 min. While the culture conditions established for the second series were the addition of yeast extract (0.2% w/w), and culture starting with 2 x 10(6) CFU g(-1) and a ratio of R pentosaceus and L. acidophilus, 3: 1. The fermentation profile was studied in a last culture. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) prevailed over the native microorganisms, with a specific growth rate of 0.47 h(-1). Diacetyl production correlated (r(2) = 0.9972) with the 12 h exponential growth phase of LAB. The concentration of diacetyl at that time was 779.56 mg kg(-1). The contents of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids were low at 12 h, 665 and 1312 mg kg(-1), respectively. During the long stationary phase, they increased up to 4800 and 1886 mg kg(-1), respectively. This procedure might be useful to prepare naturally aromatized raw materials for the food industry. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.