Ability of Wine Lactic Acid Bacteria to Metabolize Phenol Carboxylic Acids

Abstract

Several strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from wine were tested for their abilities to metabolize ferulic and <i>p</i>-coumaric acids. Using UV spectrophotometry, manometric technique, and gas chromatography, it was shown that ferulic and <i>p</i>-coumaric acids were strongly decarboxylated by growing cultures of <i>Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum</i>, and <i>Pediococcus</i>. Resting cell decarboxylation activity was only detected for bacteria grown with these substrates suggesting inducibility of this activity. For <i>Leuconostoc oenos</i>, decarboxylation activity was present only with permeabilized cells grown with phenol carboxylic acid. This could indicate the absence of transport system for these acids in <i>Leuconostoc oenos</i>. When decarboxylation was observed, volatile phenols (4-ethylguaiacol and 4-ethylphenol) were detected indicating the possibility of reduction of the side chain before or after decarboxylation.