Lactic Acid Bacteria and γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Diacetyl

Abstract

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), or γ-ammonia butyric acid, is a kind of nonprotein amino acid which widely exists in vegetables and animals. It exists in the seeds, roots, and tissue fluid of many plants, such as Glycine L., Panax, herbal, and in animals almost exclusively present in nervous tissues. The content of GABA in brain tissue is 0.1~0.6mg/g, and immunology research show that substantia nigra contain the highest concentration of GABA (Krajnc et al. 1996). Meanwhile GABA is also present in microorganisms, such as yeast, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli.