Cysteine granules and use thereof as bifidobacterium animalis lactis growth stimulants

Abstract

The present application relates to an inoculum that is particularly suitable for the direct inoculation of at least one strain of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis in a dairy substrate, for the conversion of said dairy substrate into a fermented dairy product. This inoculum comprises, in mixture or in collection form, the L-cysteine base and at least one strain of B. animalis lactis . Said cysteine and said at least one strain of B. animalis lactis are each contained in, or in the form of frozen and/or lyophilizate granules. Advantageously, said cysteine is incorporated within the same granules or the same lyophilizate as the cells of B. animalis lactis.

1 . An inoculum which is specially adapted for the direct inoculation of at least one strain of  Bifidobacterium animalis  ssp  lactis  into a dairy substrate, to transform said dairy substrate into a fermented milk product which is suitable for human consumption, characterized in that said inoculum comprises, as a mixture or in the form of a kit of parts:
 cysteine which is not bound to other amino acids via a peptide linkage; and   at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis;      
     said cysteine and said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  each being contained in or in the form of frozen granules and/or lyophilisate(s); 
     said cysteine also being an L-cysteine base the formula for which, in the reduced form, is HSCH 2 CH(NH) 2 CO 2 H, such that the pH of the solution obtained after:
 defrosting said granule(s); and/or 
 re-dissolving said lyophilisate(s) in a proportion of 1 to 2 grams of lyophilisate(s) per 8 to 10 mL of H 2 O; 
 
     is at least 4; 
     said cysteine being present in said inoculum in a quantity of:
 1 gram per 1×10 14  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis ); 
 to  1  gram per 3.5×10 10  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis ). 
 
   
   
       2 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cysteine is an L-cysteine which has a pH of more than 4 when it is in solution. 
   
   
       3 . An inoculum according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , characterized in that said cysteine is not cysteine hydrochloride or cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate. 
   
   
       4 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it does not comprise cysteine hydrochloride. 
   
   
       5 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one frozen granule and/or a lyophilisate which contains both:
 all or a portion of said cysteine; and   cells of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis.      
   
   
       6 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises:
 at least two frozen granules; or   at least two distinct lyophilisates; or   at least one frozen granule and at least one lyophilisate;   
     characterized in that for each of these pairs of physical entities:
 one of the two physical entities contains all or part of said cysteine without containing cells of  B. animalis lactis ; and 
 the other of the two physical entities contains cells of  B. animalis lactis  without containing said cysteine. 
 
   
   
       7 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cysteine is present in said inoculum in a quantity of:
 0.01 milligrams per billion cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis );   to  30  milligrams per billion cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis ).   
   
   
       8 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cysteine is present in said inoculum in a quantity of:
 1 gram per 0.2×10 14  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis );   to  1  gram per 10×10 10  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis ).   
   
   
       9 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cysteine is present in said inoculum in a quantity of:
 0.05 milligrams per billion cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis );   to  10  milligrams per billion cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  (or, if there are several, said strains of  B. animalis lactis ).   
   
   
       10 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said cysteine is present in said inoculum in a quantity of 4.90 mg to 144 mg per 5×10 9  to 5×10 11  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis.    
   
   
       11 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that 1 gram of said granules with 16-17% dry matter content comprises 5×10 9  to 5×10 11  cfu of said at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis.    
   
   
       12 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that 1 gram of said granules with 16-17% dry matter content comprises 4.90 mg to 144 mg of said cysteine. 
   
   
       13 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it contains no more than 0.5% (w/w) of yeast, yeast extract or yeast autolysate. 
   
   
       14 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said strain of  B. animalis lactis  is strain I-2494. 
   
   
       15 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises at least one strain of lactic bacteria other than  B. animalis lactis.    
   
   
       16 . An inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said at least one other strain of lactic bacteria is present in a physical structure which is distinct from that which contains the cells of  B. animalis lactis.    
   
   
       17 . An inoculum according to  claim 14  or  claim 15 , characterized in that said at least one other strain of lactic bacteria comprises at least one strain of  S. thermophilus  and at least one strain of  L. bulgaricus.    
   
   
       18 . A frozen granule which is capable of being derived from an inoculum according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  and L-cysteine which is not bound to other amino acids by a peptide linkage, said L-cysteine being a cysteine in a form such that the pH of the solution obtained after defrosting said granule(s) is at least 4. 
   
   
       19 . A lyophilisate which is capable of being an inoculum in accordance with  claim 1 , or of being derived from said inoculum, characterized in that it comprises at least one strain of  B. animalis lactis  and an L-cysteine which is not bonded to other amino acids via a peptide linkage, said L-cysteine being in a form such that the pH of the solution obtained after re-dissolving said lyophilisate(s) in a proportion of 1 to 2 grams of lyophilisate(s) per 8 to 10 mL of H 2 O is at least 4. 
   
   
       20 . A process for stimulating the growth and/or metabolism of  B. animalis lactis  on a dairy substrate, which comprises:
 inoculating a dairy substrate with at least one inoculum in accordance with  claim 1 , and/or with at least one granule in accordance with  claim 18  and/or with at least one lyophilisate in accordance with  claim 19 ; and   maintaining said inoculated substrate under conditions of temperature and atmosphere which are favorable to the metabolism of  B. animalis lactis.      
   
   
       21 . A process for producing a fermented dairy product with a high probiotic value, comprising:
 inoculating a dairy substrate with at least one inoculum in accordance with  claim 1 , and/or with at least one granule in accordance with  claim 18  and/or with at least one lyophilisate in accordance with  claim 19 ; and   fermenting said substrate with said at least one inoculum.   
   
   
       22 . A process for producing a fermented dairy product with a high probiotic value, which comprises:
 inoculating a dairy substrate with at least one inoculum in accordance with  claim 1 , and/or with at least one granule in accordance with  claim 18  and/or with at least one lyophilisate in accordance with  claim 19 ;   inoculating said dairy substrate with at least one strain of  S. thermophilus  and at least one strain of  L. bulgaricus ; and   fermenting said substrate with said at least one inoculum and said strains of  S. thermophilus  and  L. bulgaricus.      
   
   
       23 . A process according to  claim 20 , characterized in that said inoculum is added to the dairy substrate in a quantity which adds L-cysteine and cells of  B. animalis lactis  in a quantity of 7 to 11 mg of L-cysteine per liter of dairy substrate, for 10 9  to 10 11  cfu of cells of  B. animalis lactis  per liter of dairy substrate.