Efficient Homofermentative <scp>l</scp> -(+)-Lactic Acid Production from Xylose by a Novel Lactic Acid Bacterium, <i>Enterococcus mundtii</i> QU 25

Enterococcus mundtii QU 25, a newly isolated lactic acid bacterium, efficiently metabolized xylose into l-lactate. In batch fermentations, the strain produced 964 mM l-(+)-lactate from 691 mM xylose, with a yield of 1.41 mol/mol xylose consumed and an extremely high optical purity of ≥99.9% without acetate production.