The present invention relates to a composition for producing a fermented milk product comprising (i) at least one Streptococcus thermophilus (St) strain, wherein the St 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 (ii) at least one Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lb) strain, wherein the Lb strain is lactose-deficient and capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate.

The present invention provides a modified strain of the bacterium Lactococcus lactis obtainable by a method that comprises a step of fusion of two protoplasts from two Lactococcus lactis parental strains which, compared to the wild type strain of Lactococcus lactis from which they derive, show: (a) an increased ability to produce acetoin and/or 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), and (b) a decreased ability to produce lactic acid, when cultured under aerobic conditions, and wherein the modified strain of Lactococcus lactis has an increased ability to produce 2,3-BDO of at least 20 times the amount produced by the wild type strain, an increased ability to produce acetoin of at least 20 times the amount produced by the wild type strain and a decreased ability to produce lactic acid of at least 10 times the amount produced by the wild type strain, when cultured under aerobic conditions. Also provided are methods to produce acetoin and 2,3-BDO.

The present invention relates to a bacterial of the Streptococcus thermophilus species with reference CNRZ160, for use in the prevention and/or treatment of intestinal inflammation in an individual.

A lactic acid bacterium is provided which has high foodstuff suitability, easy to manufacture, and can increase the blood iron concentration, thereby improving anemia. A lactic acid bacterium of salt-tolerant that increases the blood iron concentration.

The present disclosure provides a microbiological treatment system including a hydration system and microbiological degradation systems. The hydration system may include a gas-liquid mixing chamber, a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a liquid inlet, and a liquid outlet, the latter four being fluidly coupled to the chamber. The gas inlet is configured to introduce an ethylene oxide exhaust gas into the chamber to mix with an aqueous solution to form an ethylene oxide exhaust liquor. The liquid outlet is configured to discharge the ethylene oxide exhaust liquor. Each microbiological degradation system may include a degradation chamber containing degradation bacteria including one of anaerobic bacteria, facultative bacteria, or aerobic bacteria. The degradation chambers of the microbiological degradation systems may be in fluid communication sequentially in a predetermined degradation sequence, with the most upstream in the degradation sequence having a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the liquid outlet.

The present invention relates a heteropolysaccharide characterized in that it is substantially composed of the monosaccharides glucose and galactose and rhamnose and N-acetylgalactosamine and a process for the production thereof. The invention further relates to a bacterium capable of producing said heteropolysaccharide and to the use of the heteropolysaccharide and the bacterium for improving the texture of fermented milk products.

The present invention relates to media and fermentation methods for producing polysaccharides in bacterial cell culture. In one aspect, the invention relates to a complex culture medium comprising a vegetable hydrolysate, a yeast extract, and a carbon source. In another aspect, the invention relates to a defined media having a total amino acid concentration greater than about 50 mM. A further aspect of the invention relates to the use of fed batch and perfusion fermentation methods for cultivating polysaccharide-producing bacteria.

Provided are mixed carrier, multivalent pneumococcal conjugate compositions comprising 21 different pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugates, wherein each of the conjugates includes a capsular polysaccharide from a different serotype of Streptococcus pneumoniae conjugated to either tetanus toxoid (TT) or CRM.sub.197, wherein the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes are selected from 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 8, 9N, 9V, 10A, 11 A, 12F, 14, 15B, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F, and 33F, where the capsular polysaccharides of two of serotypes 1, 3, and 5 and one or both of serotypes 15B and 22F are conjugated to TT and the remaining capsular polysaccharides are conjugated to CRM.sub.197. Also provided are methods of producing the mixed carrier, multivalent pneumococcal conjugate compositions and methods of using the same for prophylaxis against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection or disease in a subject.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fermented milk product comprising the steps of: 1) adding a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactococcus lactis strain, which is capable of metabolizing the non-lactose carbohydrate, to a milk base, and 2) fermenting the milk for a period of time until a target pH is reached to obtain a fermented milk product.

The present invention relates to a composition for producing a fermented milk product showing a low degree of post-acidification during storage comprising ⋅ 1) a starter culture of lactic acid bacteria comprising at least one lactose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus strain, which is capable of metabolizing a non-lactose carbohydrate, and at least one lactose-deficient Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strain, which is capable of metabolizing the non-lactose carbohydrate, and ⋅ 2) a probiotic strain selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus strain and a Bifidobacterium strain.