Fermentation technologies for the production of exopolysaccharide- synthesizing Lactobacillus rhamnosus concentrated cultures

The exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing cultures such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus RW-9595M present a challenge for the culture producers because the high viscosity of the fermented growth medium makes it difficult to recover the cells by centrifugation or filtration. This study examined four approaches to reduce viscosity of the medium while producing high cell densities: incubation temperature, extended incubation in the stationary growth phase, production in alginate gel beads and fed-batch fermentation technology. Automated spectrophotometry (AS) was used to study the effects of temperature, pH and lactate level on growth of the strain. In AS assays, there was no significant difference in final maximal biomass