Abstract

RECENT TRENDS IN APPLICATION OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA (LAB) IN DAIRY AND BIOMEDICAL INDUSTRY: A CRITICAL REVIEW

A. S. Lejaniya, Deepak Chandran* and R. Geetha

.

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria are heterogeneous group of bacteria with unique property of lactic acid production by fermenting carbohydrates. LAB has widespread application in many industries including food and biomedical industry. Fermented products like yoghurt, curd, butter milk, cheese and probiotic dairy products can be prepared using cultures of LAB. Bacteriocins produced by certain strains of LAB can be employed as biopreservatives in food products. Commercial lactic acid bacteria are selected for a variety of desirable characters in addition to its rapid organic acid production. Apart from food industry, lactic acid bacteria are widely employed in pharmaceutical industry, viz., curing bone fractures, alleviating gastrointestinal problems, curing liver disease and treating cancer. Biodegradable higher tensile polymer (Poly lactic acid) production from LAB has enhanced its use in biomedical industry. Major application of lactic acid bacteria in dairy and biomedical industry are discussed in the review.

Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, Fermentation, Biopreservatives, Dairy industry, Biomedical industry.