The present invention provides a method of controlling growth of unwanted microorganisms by limiting their access to manganese. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of inhibiting or delaying growth of yeast and mold by reducing the manganese concentration in a product which is preferably a food product. The invention also provides manganese scavengers and uses thereof to inhibit or delay fungal growth.

The present invention aims to provide an agent for preventing or ameliorating stress disorders, which agent is highly safe and effective, causes less side effects, and can be continuously used for a long time.

One embodiment of the present invention is an agent for preventing or ameliorating stress disorders comprising, as an active ingredient, a lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies lactis or a lactic acid bacterium-derived ingredient therefrom.

The present invention relates to a Streptococcus thermophilus strain, wherein the strain is galactose-fermenting, wherein the strain carries a mutation in the DNA sequence of the glcK gene encoding a glucokinase protein, wherein the mutation inactivates the glucokinase protein or has a negative effect on expression of the gene, and wherein the strain carries a mutation in the promoter region of the GalK gene encoding a galactokinase protein.

The present invention relates to fermented plant-based compositions and methods of making the same.