ABSTRACT
The changes in the concentrations of amino acids in the culture medium of lactic acid bacteria were determined by ion exchange chromatography after growth of 105 strains that were mainly isolated from wine. After growth of lactic acid bacteria a small but not significant decrease in the concentration of most amino acids is observed. There is apparently no difference between essential or not essential amino acids. Certain bacterial strains decompose the amino acids arginine, glutamic acid, histidine, and tyrosine completely. Other amino acids (tryptophane, aspartic acid, threonine, isoleucine, and phenylalanine) are only partially metabolized. Among 28 strains of Pediococcus cerevisiae only one strain was able to decarboxylate histidine to histamine. This was the only strain found to have this ability. Several strains of Lactobacillus brevis were able to form 4-aminobutyric acid and ornithine from glutamic acid and arginine respectively.
