Reduction of linoleic acid inhibition in production of conjugated linoleicacid by Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp shermanii

A method for the production of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from linoleic acid (LA) using growing cultures of Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS was developed. The growth inhibitory effect of LA was eliminat ed by dispersing it in a sufficient concentration of polyoxyethylene sorbit an monooleate detergent. For the whey permeate medium used, the optimum LA: detergent ratio was 1:15 (w/w). As a result, the cultures tolerated at leas t 1000 mug.mL(-1) LA, which was converted to CLA with 57%-87% efficiency. T he cis-9, trans-11 and trans-9, cis-11 isomers constituted 85%-90% of the C LA produced. The feasibility of the method was demonstrated also in de Man - Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) broth.