Abstract: The strain CWBI-B1465 Leuconostoc mesenteroides has been previously selected from traditional kivuguto, a fermented milk from Rwanda. The strain is preserved in the CWBI Collection and the sequence is deposited in GenBank under Accession number JF313445. The paper reports the production and the preservation of that strain for dairy starter culture use. The production was carried out in a 20 L fermentor with 16 L working volume in batch process. Half of this was centrifuged. The cells were harvested, cryoprotected and freeze-dried. The freeze-dried powders were then vacuum-sealed and stored for 90 days. The other half was also centrifuged. The cells were harvested, mixed with protectants and spray-dried. The spray-dried powders were then vacuum-sealed and stored for 90 days. After the two drying processes, viability in storage at 4 and 20°C was examined on six levels: membrane fatty acids, flow cytometry, soluble proteins, carbonyl proteins and enumeration on agar MRS. The production was also made in a 20 L fermentor with a 16 L working volume in a fed-batch process, only for optimal production assessment. The obtained results showed that CWBI-B1465 grows at 0.55–0.60 h-1 of the specific growth rate; the generation time was 1.12 and 1.25 h in batch and fed-batch, respectively. Its preservability exhibited low loss when it is stored at 4°C, and more if it is stored at 20°C. The most suitable drying process is freeze-drying, but spray-drying is also very interesting and is recommended based on the cost of the process.Abstract: The strain CWBI-B1465 Leuconostoc mesenteroides has been previously selected from traditional kivuguto, a fermented milk from Rwanda. The strain is preserved in the CWBI Collection and the sequence is deposited in GenBank under Accession number JF313445. The paper reports the production and the preservation of that strain for dairy starter culture ...Show More
