Influence of epigallocatechin gallate and phenolic compounds from green tea on the growth of Oenococcus oeni

2007

Aims:  To investigate the effect of phenolic compounds on the growth of Oenococcus oeni. Methods and Results:  Oenococci are usually grown in media often supplemented with complex additives such as tomato juice. In order to improve our knowledge about the growth requirements of oenococci, we added several juices and leaf extracts such as green tea to the culture media and screened them for growth-stimulating substances to substitute complex supplements such as juices by more defined components. We found that also green tea could cause a growth stimulation of Oenococcus oeni strain B2. Conclusions:  Further experiments showed that the stimulating effect was as a result of the phenolic compou…