Screening of anaerobic bacteria with the ability to decolorize molasses melanoidin.

Abstract

The screening of facultative anaerobes with melanoidin-decolorizing activity (MDA) was performed, and some strains were isolated from stored waste water of an alcohol fermentation involving molasses. One of them, strain W-NS, showed high and stable MDA, and was identical with Lactobacillus hilgardii. The decolorization yield of this strain under the optimal conditions was only 28%, however, it was improved to 40% by immobilization of cells within Ca-alginate gel. Unlike Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes, this strain decolorized smaller molecular weight fractions of melanoidin, quickly. Also, the MDA of this strain toward various synthetic melanoidin was quite different from that of Basidiomycetes.