Light sensitivity of Bifidobacterium longum in bioreactor cultivations

Bifidobacteria are gaining commercial significance due to their probiotic properties. However, little is still known about the production of these bacteria and their behavior in bioreactors. Two Bifidobacterium longum strains were sensitive to light when grown in a transparent (glass) bioreactor under microaerophilic growth conditions (i.e. no gases added and slow mixing). The sensitivity was less clear the more anaerobic the initial conditions were. In a darkened bioreactor in microaerophilic conditions, the two strains grew with maximum specific growth rates of 0.36 h(-1) and 0.48 h(-1). In an illuminated bioreactor neither strain grew. In comparison, Lactobacillus reuteri was not sensitive to light under the same conditions.