Shear stress effects on growth and activity of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

Cells are frequently submitted to shear stresses during industrial processes. Shear stress can be either beneficial or detrimental to the cells depending on the organism and on the level of intensity. The present work was designed to study the effect of shear stress on cell activity of a widely used lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus). A constant shear stress bioreactor, based on Couette device, was developed and used to control shear stress from 0 to 72 Pa during a 4-h cultivation of a supplemented whey permeate medium with L. bulgaricus at 42 degrees C. In order to reach high shear stresses and to perform experiments within the laminar flow range where hydrodynamic conditions are accurately defined, the medium was thickened with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). pH, cell counts, optical density, lactose and lactic acid concentrations were monitored during culture, and cell activity was evaluated after culture and after a freezing treatment at -80 degrees C, using a standardized activity test based on optical density measurement. Cell metabolism was significantly improved by intermediate shear stress levels (36 and 54 Pa) during culture. Furthermore, biomass concentration, evaluated by optical density, was clearly higher at 36 Pa. Cell lengthening was observed, which was mainly related to the presence of CMC and partly to shear stress level, especially at 36 Pa. Hydrodynamic conditions during culture could affect the membrane permeability of the cell and its resistance to freezing. Cells cultivated at 72 Pa were certainly weakened by shearing forces, and these cultures exhibited lag times twice as long after freezing as those grown at 36 Pa. Furthermore, after freezing, cultures grown at 36 Pa had shorter lag times than at 0 Pa (1.1 and 1.3 h, respectively) and higher specific growth rates (1.24 and 0.99 h-1, respectively).