Production of food grade β-galactosidase from artisanal yogurt strains

Superior artisanal isolates of thermophilic lactic acid bacteria producing high lactic acid and β-galactosidase were isolated from traditional Turkish yogurt samples from the Toros mountain region from a highly bio-diverse environment. A full factorial statistical design, with the factors of types of strains and medium formulations under static and agitation conditions, were applied to investigate the effects on β-galactosidase and lactic acid production. Streptococcus thermophilus 95/2 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. thermophilus 77 exhibited remarkable potential as promising starter culture candidates valuable to various applications in the dairy industry. The efficiency of cell disruption methods was investigated on the extraction of intracellular β-galactosidase enzyme. Lysozyme enzyme treatment was determined as the most effective method, which resulted in approximately 1.5 and 10 times higher enzyme activity than glass bead and homogenization treatment, respectively. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.Turkish Technical and Scientific Council (TÜBİTAK TOVAK 104O270) and State Plan Organization (DPT-2005 K 120570