RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the lactic acid productivity of Lactobacillus acidophilus (La) exposed to formula milk containing different concentration of erythritol.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>La was cultured under anaerobic condition (80% N(2), 10% CO(2), 10% H(2)) at 37 °C in five experimental groups (formula milk mixed with different concentrations of erythritol). The five experimental groups contained 1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% erythritol, respectively (groups 1% E-M, 2% E-M, 4% E-M, 6% E-M, 8% E-M). Formula milk served as control group (group M). The lactic acid was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at 4 h intervals during 24 h. The peak-area of lactic acid was recorded and used to calculate the concentration of lactic acid through the equation of a standard curve (y = 590 244x + 67 507). ANOVA and Tukey HDS analysis were used to analyze the data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentration of lactic acid at 24 h was group M [(4.693 ± 0.105) g/L], group 1% E-M[(4.114 ± 0.186) g/L], group 2% E-M[(3.720 ± 0.158) g/L], group 4% E-M[(3.045 ± 0.152) g/L], group 6% E-M[(2.971 ± 0.086) g/L], group 8% E-M[(2.789 ± 0.142) g/L]. Statistically significant differences in lactic acid concentrations were found between different time points (P < 0.05) and between different groups (F = 187.448, P < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of lactic acid in each experimental group was lower than that in control group (P < 0.05). The difference among groups 4% E-M, 6% E-M, and 8% E-M were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Erythritol showed the inhibition potential against La in metabolizing lactic acid in formula milk. The effect of erythritol was concentration depended. The higher concentration of erythritol contained in the milk, the better the inhibition potential against La in metabolizing lactic acid.</p>