Sugar beet molasses vinasse is a high-strength distillery wastewater. It contains colored substances which significantly affect the degree of pollution and toxicity of vinasse. This study aimed to optimize the medium composition and the process condition of sugar beet molasses vinasse decolorization by Lactobacillus plantarum MiLAB393. The research was conducted in two stages: the shake-fl ask stage in the 250 cm ³ Erlenmeyer flasks and the batch experiments in the 5 dm ³ working volume stirred-tank bioreactor. During the study, the concentrations of glucose and yeast extract were optimized using experimental design of experiments (DOE). The influences of the initial value of pH and pH control, temperature, stirrer speed and glucose concentration on decolorization were tested. The highest color reduction of 24.1% was achieved for an experiment in which 24.93 g/dm ³ of glucose was added to the medium and stirrer speed was 200 rpm. This efficiency of 30% v/v sugar beet molasses vinasse decolorization was obtained at non-controlled pH 6.0 and at 35.8°C. It was found that pH control determines vinasse decolorization. When the pH was controlled, decolorization did not exceed 9%. The glucose and yeast extract concentration and the stirrer speed have a great influence on the process. Changes in these parameters may increase biomass growth while decreasing the decolorization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the newly isolated Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and Lactobacillus paracasei LUHS244 strains grown in potato juice (with a cell count of 8.0-9.0 log10 CFU/ml) on the blood and faeces parameters of exercising horses. The horses were classified into four different groups: a control group (which received no probiotics); the first group (which received 200 ml of L. plantarum culture in potato juice); the second group (which received 200 ml of L. paracasei culture in potato juice); and the third group (which received an L. plantarum and L. paracasei mix (with the mix consisting of 100 ml of each). Indices for the blood and faeces microflora were obtained before and after treatment of horses (on days zero and thirty). It was observed that the count for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the faeces was significantly higher on day thirty, whereas it was lower when it came to the total enterobacteria count (TCE). Despite the ambiguous influence of any treatment on blood parameters, the L. plantarum × L. paracasei mixture increased the concentration of HGB and O2 saturation in blood samples which were taken from the horses. L. paracasei significantly decreased the lactate concentration levels in horse blood samples. As a result of the present study, it can clearly be seen that the strains being used revealed their potential application as probiotics; however, further studies are required to prove the survival and action mechanisms of the newly isolated strains.

The aim of the experiment was to examine the effect of a diet enriched with Lactobacillus plantarum and/or β-glucan on the immune parameters in the juvenile tench (Tinca tinca). Fish were fed for 14 days different diets (phase 1 of the experiment), a dry commercial starter feed in the control group or the same feed supplemented with: 1% β-1,3/1,6-glucan in group G, 108 cfu L. plantarum g-1 in group L, 1% β-1,3/1,6-glucan + 108 cfu L. plantarum g-1 in group G+L. During consecutive 14 days all fish were fed the commercial feed alone (phase 2). The stimulating effects of the tested preparations was evaluated twice, at the end of each experimental phase. Dietary supplementation of β-1,3/1,6-glucan considerably improved the humoral innate immune response (activity of lysozyme and total Ig) and the pinocytotic activity of phagocytes. Supplement of L. plantarum improved the ability of the head kidney phagocytes (RBA) to carry out oxygen burst in L and G+L groups. A similar effect was observed for the killing activity of phagocytes (PKA) from the head kidney after the stimulation of A. hydrophila, and the effect persisted for two weeks after the commercial feed regime was resumed. A significant increase in the pro- liferative activity of B lymphocytes originating from the head kidney was observed in groups L and G+L. The study has revealed that the addition of the tested G+L synbiotic to dry diet stimulates the innate immune response mechanisms in the juvenile tench.