Damped oscillations in continuous culture of Lactobacillus plantarum.

Lactobacillus plantarum exhibited long-period damped oscillations when grown aerobically with glucose as the rate-limiting substrate. Hydrogen peroxide accumulated in the cultures and its concentration also exhibited damped oscillations. It is suggested that inhibition of growth by hydrogen peroxide is involved in the production of the damped oscillations of microbiol population density.