The present invention relates to mutants of lactic acid bacteria which are resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin and which were found to give an increased texture when grown in milk while maintaining the other growth properties of the parent strain. The present invention, furthermore, relates to compositions comprising such mutants, and to dairy products fermented with the lactic acid bacteria resistant to ampicillin.

A probiotic composition comprised of a probiotic, a prebiotic, a complex-starch reducing enzyme, an enzymatic co-factor, and a pH modifier. The probiotic composition facilitates the creation of a biofilm within the GI tract of poultry that outcompetes and excludes pathogens. The probiotic composition can be incorporated into an eggwash and sprayed onto an egg, the sprayed egg developing a stable probiotic population within the GI tract of the pre-hatched chick. The probiotic composition can also be incorporated into poultry feed by applying the probiotic composition as a mash prior to pelleting. The probiotic composition can also be applied post-pelleting as a wet or dry spray, directly onto the pellets. In some instances, the probiotic composition can be added a drinking water source used by poultry as a water additive. Poultry that consume feed or water that contain the probiotic composition develop a stable probiotic population within their GI tracts.

A novel co-fermented food product formed from oats and dairy is described herein. The co-fermented food product includes a grain ingredient, a dairy ingredient, and a bacterial culture. The novel co-fermented food product includes a set of metabolites derived from the co-fermentation of the oat ingredient and the dairy ingredient by the bacterial culture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fermented milk and polysaccharide capable of inhibiting cancerous cachexia. A fermented milk with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to one aspect of the present invention contains Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus as an active ingredient. Also, polysaccharide with cancerous cachexia inhibitory effect according to another aspect of the present invention are produced from the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. It is preferable that the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus is Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus OLL1073R-1 (accession number: FERM BP-10741).

The invention relates to a composition for producing a fermented milk product comprising: (i) a starter culture comprising a glucose-fermenting Streptococcus thermophilus (St) strain and a glucose-fermenting Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (Lb) strain; and (ii) a glucose-deficient Streptococcus thermophilus (St) strain, wherein said St strain is galactose-fermenting and carries a mutation in the DNA sequence of the glcK gene encoding a glucokinase protein, which mutation inactivates the glucokinase protein or has a negative effect on expression of the gene.

A soy milk fermented substance is provided. The soy milk fermented substance has a taste and flavor or smooth physicality similar to that of yogurt obtained by fermenting milk with a lactic acid without applying processing treatment such as enzyme treatment or extraction treatment to soy milk which is a material and without adding a material such as a sugar source, even in a case where only Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus are employed as a lactic acid bacteria mixture starter at the time of making a fermented substance which employs soy milk as a material.

A method for producing a lactic acid bacteria fermented milk product comprising fermenting milk with both inoculated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and inoculated Bacillus bacteria.

A method for producing stirred yogurt, whereby raw milk is treated with a protein glutaminase to form a modified milk prior to fermentation with a starter culture. After fermentation, a gel structure of the resulting yogurt is then disrupted to form the stirred yogurt. Under such a sequence, stirred yogurts are formed having sufficiently high viscosities without the need for thickeners or cross-linking enzymes.

Process for producing an ambient storage food product comprising providing a food product with a pH of between 3.4 and 4.4, subjecting the food product to a heat treatment to obtain a heat treated food product, adding aseptically to the heat treated food product one or more of ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strains to obtain an ambient storage food product, and storing the ambient storage food product at ambient temperature for a period of time, wherein the ambient storage lactic acid bacteria strain is selected from the group consisting of strains: (i) wherein the strain is capable of retaining viability at the end of 20 days at a temperature of 25 #C; and (ii) wherein the pH at most decreases 0.8 units during the storage period; and (iii) wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of strains of the genus Oenococcus, and mutants thereof.

A medicine, a food or a drink and feed which are effective for preventing and/or improving decline, occurring with age (senescence), in memory and learning ability are provided. A novel microorganism having the effect of preventing and/or improving decline, occurring with age (senescence,) in memory and learning ability is provided. More specifically, the microorganism is characterized by being a microorganism belonging to Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc or Pediococcus, more specifically a microorganism belonging to any of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus gallinarum, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus thermophiles, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, Leuconostoc lactis, Pediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus.