Arginine Metabolism and Citrulline Accumulation of Pediococcus acidilactici

Abstract:

Citrulline，a major precursor of ethyl carbamate in soy sauce，is produced by Pediococcusacidilactici via the arginine deiminase pathway. The effect of cultural conditions to citrulline accumulation of Pediococcus acidilactici BBE 1120 strain isolated from koji was investigated through carbon sources，salt concentration，and amino acids. The mechanism of citrulline accumulation in soy sauce was discussed. The high concentration of NaCl was demonstrated as the key factor to citrulline accumulation of the strain. The types and concentrations of carbohydrates also affected the citrulline accumulation，while insignificant influence was observed with the presence of arginine，citrulline and ornithine. This study is of great importance on the illustration of the accumulation mechanism for ethyl carbamate precursor during soy sauce fermentation.