Growth of Bifidobacteria in Milk and Preparation of Bifidobacterium infantis for a Dietary Adjunct

Abstract Addition of .2% modified deMan, Rogosa, Sharp broth permitted growth of four species of Bifidobacterium in either 10 or 12% nonfat dry milk. Serial propagations of Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium infantis , and Bifidobacterium longum were successful in the modified milk, but Bifidobacterium bifidum required addition of ascorbic acid. Cysteine (.05%) plus either pyruvic acid (.05%) or ascorbic acid (.2%) successfully replaced addition of the broth for Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Bifidobacterium infantis was stable to lyophilization, and lyophilized Bifidobacterium infantis showed no decrease of viability during storage for 4 mo at 4°C under air in a dessicator or during suspension (2×10 6 /ml) for at least 7 days in refrigerated pasteurized lowfat milk.