Hydrolysis of soya milk oligosaccharides by Bifidobacterium longum CRL 849

The reduction of soya milk oligosaccharides by Bifidobacterium longum CRL 8 49 was studied. The utilization of stachyose was concomitant with the use o f sucrose. Maximum hydrolysis of stachyose (49.3%) occurred during the firs t 7 h of incubation at 37 degrees C, while a 79.3% decrease in the concentr ation of sucrose was observed after 9 h. No raffinose was detected after hy drolysis of the stachyose. Cell population decreased after 8 h of incubatio n because of the low pH attained (pH 4.7). L(+)-Lactate concentration was h igher than acetate (molar ratio 6.7:1) at 6 h followed by a slow increase i n acetate formation. Ethanol was detected in small amounts at the end of th e incubation time (24 h).