Comparative studies of Lactobacillus plantarum were carried out in MRS broth (control) and in 3% (w/v) sugar cane blackstrap molasses enriched as follows: 0.5% yeast extract, 0.5% ammonium citrate and 0.5% sodium acetate (Medium 1) and 0.5% yeast extract, 0.5% ammonium citrate, 0.5% sodium acetate, 0.5% ammonium phosphate, 0.2% ammonium citrate, 0.1% Tween 80 and 0.005% manganese sulphate (Medium 2). The experiment, was carried out at a 5 L fermentor, with 3.5 L as working volume. At the end of the fermentation period MRS presented the highest viable cells production (28.68 log CFU/mL) while in Medium 2 it was 25.80 and in Medium 1 19.36 log CFU/mL. Biomass productivity was 0.0865 g.L-1.h for MRS (control), 0.0768 and 0.0507 g.L-1.h for Medium 2 and Medium 1, respectively. In Medium 1 total available sugar consume was only 60.11% while in MRS and Medium 2 it was 87.21% and 83.80%, respectively.
Lactobacillus plantarum; fermentation; molasses
