The rate of lactic acid utilization was nearly identical in both aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres (Data not shown. Information available online in Supplemental Fig. 1), indicating that oxygen is not required, nor does it influence the lactate degrading ability of
L. buchneri. Therefore, both air purged and anaerobic cucumber
fermentations would be equally susceptible to spoilage by
L. buchneri. Studies of lactate utilization by L. plantarum have shown
differences in the rate of lactate utilization (Bobillo and Marshall,
1991) and end products formed (Lindgren et al., 1990) in the
presence of oxygen. Oude Elferink et al. (2001) proposed that the
anaerobic conversion of lactic acid to acetic acid and 1,2-
propanediol did not require external electron acceptors. We have
found that there is also no enhancement of this reaction when
oxygen is present, and that 1,2-propanediol is still formed (Table 2).