• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.425-432
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• 1998

The strain producing L-lactic acid from starch was isolated from kimchi. The isolated strain was identified as a homofermentative Streptococcus sp. through its morphological, cultural, biochemical characteristics, and named Streptococcus sp. JEJ-6. Lactic acids are of two types, one L-specific and the other D-specific form in a stereospecific form. Streptococcus sp. JEJ-6 produced selectively L-lactic acid from all of the tested carbon sources. The optimum conditions for the L-lactic acid production from the isolated microorganism were determined. For the maximum yield of L-lactic acid from Streptococcus sp. JEJ-6, the cell should be harvested at the early stationary phase, and the growth temperature, pH, and NaCl concentration should be 37$^{\circ}C$, pH 7.0 and 0.1%, respectively. 4% Soluble starch as substrate and organic nitrogen sources such as peptone and yeast extract should be used for the best yield. The optimum pH of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD)-dependent and NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activities was pH 8.5 and pH 7.0, respectively.