Abstract:
Objective Preferential carbon sources of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were studied in laboratory to aid turning native grasses into silage.
Method Sixteen representative LAB were isolated from forage and cultured on MRS broth media using glucose, sucrose, fructose, xylose, raffinose, or a mixture of the 5 sugars as carbon source. Three replicates for each LAB strain and a blank control without LAB inoculation for each sugar treatment were included. After incubation for 24 h, contents of residual sugars and generated lactic acid in the medium were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results (1) Sucrose appeared to be the preferential carbon source by most LAB. Among the other sugars, raffinose and xylose were preferred by Lactobacillus fermentum (LbF-WM), and xylose by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (LeP-IR). (2) An 100% utilization on sucrose by Lb. reuteri (LbR-EG) and Leuconostoc citreum (LeC-IR), on fructose by LbF-WM and LbR-EG, as well as on raffinose by LbF-WM, LbR-EG, and LeP-IR was observed. Enterococcus faecium (EF-KG), Lb. brevis (LbB-KG), Lactobacillus pentosus (LbPe-EG), and Lactococcus lactis (LcL-SC) could more efficiently utilize glucose than the other sugars. (3) The greatest amounts of lactic acid were produced from the fermentation of glucose or the mixed sugars by E. durans (EG-IR), from that of fructose by LbPe-EG, from that of raffinose or the sugar mixture by Leuconostoc mesenteroides (LeM-IR), from that of sucrose by LbPe-EG, from that of xylose by LbF-WM, and from that of the mixed sugars by Lactococcus garvieae (LcG-IR). (4) The lactic acid production was more efficient by E. durans (ED-IR) on glucose, by Lb. plantarum (LbPl-IR), or LbPe-EG on fructose, by LbPl-IR or LeM-IR on raffinose, by LbPe-EG, LbPl-IR, or ED-IR on sucrose, Le. pseudomesenteroides (LeP-IR) on xylose, and LcG-IR or EG-IR on mixed sugars. A lactic acid production efficiency greater than 80% was reached by LbPl-IR grown on the medium with the mixed sugars.
Conclusion The sugar utilization and lactic acid production of the LAB fermentations on native grasses varied significantly. Sucrose appeared to be the preferential carbon source by most LAB, sucrose and glucose could obtain the higher utilization rate and lactic acid amount, and glucose could obtain higher lactic acid efficiency. For efficient and effective application of LAB to obtain extended shelf-life silage, it was imperative that careful selection of microbe strains and carbon source be exercised.