VITAMIN AND AMINO-ACID-REQUIREMENTS OF LACTOBACILLUS-PLANTARUM STRAINS ISOLATED FROM GREEN OLIVE FERMENTATIONS

The requirement for essential amino acids and vitamins was determined in wild-type Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from green olive fermentation brines. All the strains were found to be auxotrophic wit h respect to the amino acids but some of them were prototrophic for py ridoxal, p-aminobenzoic acid and/or nicotinic acid. Their growth respo nse to these nutrients was also studied and found to be quite heteroge neous. Nutritional requirement pattern as a criteria for selecting sta rter cultures is discussed.