## Materials and Methods
### Analytical Methods  
Sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, lactose) and sorbitol were analyzed by HPLC (Jasco, Easton, MD, USA) equipped with a refractive index detector (Jasco, Oklahoma City, OK, USA) and ion-exclusion column Aminex HPX-87H 300 mm \(\times\) 7.8 mm (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA, USA). Isocratic elution was carried out at 65 \({}^{\circ}\)C with 6 mL/min of 5.0 mM H\({}_{2}\)SO\({}_{4}\). L-lactic acid and D-lactic acid concentration was quantified using K-DLATE(tm) enzymatic assay kit (Megazyme, Chicago, IL, USA), based on spectrophotometric determination of NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Hydrogenated) at 340 nm. Before the HPLC analysis, samples were placed at 80 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 10 min to eliminate possible interferences due to microbial enzymes. Nitrogen content was measured by means of FLASH 2000 Series CHNS/O analyzer (ThermoFischer Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Protein content was derived multiplying nitrogen concentration for the coefficient 6.25 [(33)]. Metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe) were measured with Analyst 800 instrument (Perkin-Elmer, Waltham, MA, USA). Biomass was monitored by measuring the turbidity at 600 nm. Biomass concentration (dry weight, DW) was determined gravimetrically after drying it overnight at 105 \({}^{\circ}\)C on a pre-weighed 0.2 \(\upmu\)m filter.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline  & & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Aerobic**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Microaerophilic**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**An anaerobic**} \\ \cline{2-13}
**Strain** & \(\mathbf{Y_{LAS}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu_{l}}\) & \(\mathbf{S_{uptake}}\) & \(\mathbf{g_{S}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu_{LA}}\) & \(\mathbf{Y_{LAS}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu}\) & \(\mathbf{S_{uptake}}\) & \(\mathbf{q_{S}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu_{LA}}\) & \(\mathbf{Y_{LAS}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu}\) & \(\mathbf{S_{uptake}}\) & \(\mathbf{q_{S}}\) & \(\mathbf{\mu_{LA}}\) \\  & (\(\mathbf{\Delta^{-1}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{\
abla_{0}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{g_{S}}\)-h) & (\(\mathbf{g_{S}}\)-h) & (\(\mathbf{\
abla_{0}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{h^{-1}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{\
abla_{0}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{g_{S}}\)-h) & (\(\mathbf{\
abla_{0}}\)) & (\(\mathbf{g_{S}}\)-h) & (\(\mathbf{\
abla_{0}}\)) \\ \hline _L. alimaturaturaturas_ & 0\% & 0.012 & 100\% & 0.23 & 0.00 & 0\% & 0.011 & 100\% & 0.24 & 0.00 & 68\% & 0.010 & 80\% & 0.21 & 0.14 \\ _L. biferontrans_ & 16\% & 0.009 & 89\% & 0.25 & 0.04 & 8\% & 0.002 & 98\% & 0.37 & 0.03 & 27\% & 0.001 & 100\% & 0.40 & 0.11 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 80\% & 0.015 & 99\% & 0.22 & 0.18 & 80\% & 0.018 & 99\% & 2.25 & 0.20 & 98\% & 0.024 & 100\% & 0.13 & 0.13 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 15\% & 0.002 & 23\% & 0.09 & 0.01 & 21\% & 0.018 & 99\% & 0.18 & 0.04 & 44\% & 0.018 & 96\% & 0.17 & 0.08 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 10\% & 0.001 & 87\% & 1.70 & 0.17 & 0.9 & 0.004 & 97\% & 0.34 & 0.03 & 38\% & 0.001 & 96\% & 0.44 & 0.17 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 71\% & 0.016 & 100\% & 0.18 & 0.13 & 78\% & 0.001 & 99\% & 1.84 & 1.45 & 92\% & 0.016 & 99\% & 0.19 & 0.18 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 0\% & 0.001 & 20\% & 0.46 & 0.00 & 0\% & 0.001 & 50\% & 1.39 & 0.00 & 0\% & 0.001 & 50\% & 2.52 & 0.00 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 0\% & 0.001 & 20\% & 0.40 & 0.00 & 0\% & 0.001 & 50\% & 0.45 & 0.00 & 19\% & 0.001 & 27\% & 1.60 & 0.30 \\ _[PERSON]_ & 36\% & 0.006 & 90\% & 0.28 & 0.10 & 41\% & 0.002 & 99\% & 0.38 & 0.15 & 9\% & 0.001 & 88\% & 0.35 & 0.03 \\ _L. lgl