Conversion of methionine to methional by Lactococcus lactis

Lactic acid bacteria were screened for methional production from 4-methylth io-2-ketobutanoate. Only Lactococcus lactis IFPL730 produced high amounts o f methional. It was demonstrated that production of this compound was an ex clusively enzymatic reaction. The present work describes for the first time that L. lactis can convert enzymatically methionine to methional in a proc ess mediated by aminotransferase and alpha -ketoacid decarboxylase activiti es. The activity seems to be strain dependent. (C) 2001 Federation of Europ ean Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.