Quantification of Geotrichum candidum growth in co-culture with lactic acid bacteria

The growth dynamics of filamentous fungus G. candidum was studied during the co-cultivation with the commercial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) culture Fresco. The experiments were carried out in milk and on the surface of a milk agar at the temperature ranging from 5 to 37°C. Ratkowsky model was used to describe the relationships of the fungal growth rate to the temperature during both, single and co-cultivation with LAB in milk. Simultaneous growth of LAB affected significantly the growth rate of the filamentous fungus. The growth of G. candidum was in average 39% slower in the co-culture than in the single cultivation. LAB pre-inoculated and growing in the solid medium did not show any significant inhibitory effect on the surface growth of G. candidum at all tested temperature. The precise data describing the growth of this cheese yeast-like fungus, G. candidum, may fill a gap in the field of quantitative food mycology and may be used for predicting its behavior in real conditions.