The present invention is directed to a method for decreasing the lag time in a fermentation of a culture medium to prepare a target substance, wherein the target substance is not yogurt and wherein the fermentation results in formation of acid or ethanol, which method comprises the steps of providing, to a suitable culture medium, a fermentation starter culture comprising a microorganism which liberates acid or ethanol, adding a potato protein protease inhibitor to the culture medium, culturing the microorganism, and obtaining the target substance.

It has been found that addition of potato protein protease inhibitor to a fermentation feed significantly reduces the lag time of the fermentation. The required amount of potato protein is low enough not to affect the taste of the target substance adversely, and the lag time reduction occurs both in batch- and in semi-continuous processes. The invention further pertains to a fermented food product which is not yogurt, comprising potato protein protease inhibitor.

An animal feed supplement that includes dry Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, dry Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, dry Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, dry Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, dry Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, dry Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, dry Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product, dry Pediococcus acidilactici Fermentation Product, dry Pediococcus pentosaceus Fermentation Product; and dry Lactobacillus lactis Fermentation Product.

Embodiments of a method and supplement for preventing and/or treating gastrointestinal distress, including ulcer conditions, in animals are disclosed. The supplement comprises mastic gum and lecithin. The supplement may also comprise B vitamins, one or more prebiotics or probiotics, and one or more minerals as well as, pH buffers and flavoring. A disclosed method of preventing and/or treating gastrointestinal distress comprises orally dosing an animal with the supplement at least one daily.

A process for production and extraction of dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) relates to the biotransformation of R-lipoic acid to dihydrolipoic acid. The process ferments the lipoic acid with bacteria selected from the genus of any of the following bacteria: Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Pediococcus, or Bacillus. More particularly the present invention relates to a method for the extraction of DHLA utilizing a non-traditional solvent system, namely a food oil. Generally the DHLA that is produced in the present method is isolated from cells which have been inactivated or killed.

The present application belongs to the technical field of research and development of fermented beverages, and a method for preparing Cordyceps militaris ferment by two-stage fermentation and complex enzymatic hydrolysis is provided. The present application involves preparation of a Cordyceps militaris powder and a Cordyceps militaris slurry, preparation of a Cordyceps militaris fermentation substrate, lactic acid bacteria fermentation in combination with complex enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast fermentation, followed by centrifugation, filtration, formulation, sterilization, and filling to obtain a product. By employing lactic acid bacteria fermentation in combination with complex enzymatic hydrolysis, and secondary fermentation by yeast, the present application can quickly finish a whole fermentation process in 2 to 3 days.

The present invention is a yogurt product that may be consumed by dogs and other mammalian pets. The yogurt product is in an unflavored form comprising as essential constituents: (A) 0% to 88% by weight water; (B) 0.2% to 25% by weight of a no-fat protein component selected from the group consisting of skim milk and cultured skim milk; (C1) 0.001% to 6% by weight sugar component comprising: (C1) 0.001% to 6% polydextrose and (C2) 0.001% to 6% Glycoses and Galactoses; (D) 2% to 8% by weight milk derived solids; (E) 0.2% to 2.5% by weight stabilizers and emulsifiers; and (F) at least one probiotic microorganism. The yogurt product may be refrigerated and served as a mousse, frozen dessert, or as a fermented yogurt drink similar to Ayran or Kefir. A method for producing the yogurt product is also disclosed herein.

A sweetener composition comprising xylose, a sugar alcohol and brown seaweed extract in solid form, preferably powdered or crystalline form. The sugar alcohol is preferably an erythritol and the brown seaweed extract is preferably obtained from Laminaria japonica. The sweetener composition can further comprise one or a combination of additional vitamins, minerals, probiotic cultures, and other plant-based extracts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented milk food, in which the viability of lactic acid bacteria during storage is high, the increase in acidity is suppressed, the viable cell count is less reduced, and the flavor is less deteriorated. A method for producing a fermented milk food by which the object was achieved is characterized by inoculating and culturing lactic acid bacteria in a culture medium containing a milk as a main component and supplemented with glucose in such an amount that glucose is substantially entirely assimilated at the time of completion of culturing and fructose in an amount twice or more the amount of glucose in a mass ratio.

Embodiments of a method and supplement for preventing and/or treating gastrointestinal distress, including ulcer conditions, in animals are disclosed. The supplement comprises mastic gum and lecithin. The supplement may also comprise B vitamins, one or more prebiotics or probiotics, and one or more minerals as well as, pH buffers and flavoring. A disclosed method of preventing and/or treating gastrointestinal distress comprises orally dosing an animal with the supplement at least one daily.

The present invention relates to a fermented infant formulae comprising non digestible oligosaccharides for improving intestinal tract health by decreasing protein digestive effort, by decreasing the amount of endogenously formed proteases concomitant with an increased protein digestion, and a reduced protein fermentation.