Special Issue on Lactic Acid Bacteria

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a clade of Gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bacteria, usually found in decomposing plants and lactic products, produce lactic acid as the major metabolic end-product of carbohydrate fermentation. This trait has, throughout history, linked LAB with food fermentations, as acidification inhibits the growth of spoilage agents. Proteinaceous bacteriocins are produced by several LAB strains and provide an additional hurdle for spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, lactic acid and other metabolic products contribute to the organoleptic and textural profile of a food item. The industrial importance of the LAB is further evinced by their generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, due to their ubiquitous appearance in food and their contribution to the healthy microflora on human mucosal surfaces. The genera that comprise the LAB are at its core lactobacillus, leuconostoc, pediococcus, lactococcus, and streptococcus as well as the more peripheral aerococcus, carnobacterium, enterococcus, oenococcus, sporolactobacillus, tetragenococcus, vagococcus, and weisella; these belong to the order lactobacillales.

In this special issue, we are going to invite front-line researchers and authors to submit original research and review articles that explore lactic acid bacteria. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

l   LAB probiotic function

l   LAB in milk fermentation

l   LAB in traditional fermentation products

l   LAB isolation and identification

l   LAB diversity analysis

l   LAB and human /animal intestinal health

l   LAB exopolysaccharides

l   Lactobacillin

l   Lactose intolerance

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal’s Author Guidelines, which are located at Authors’ Guidelines. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at Paper Submission System.

Acording to the following timetable:

Guest Editor

For further questions or inquiries

please contact Editorial Assistant at fns@scirp.org