Abstract: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used in food and fermentation industries. Bacterial growth is often affected by high salt concentration during the production of fermented foods such as soy sauce, bacon and pickles. The change in osmotic pressure induced by salt stress can cause damage to cell structure, leading to cell physiological and metabolic disorders or even death. Therefore, the survival, growth and metabolic capacity of LAB under salt stress are very important during food fermentation. In this article, the mechanism of salt tolerance in LAB is reviewed, which will provide a theoretical basis for scientific research of lactic acid bacteria and their industrial application in food fermentation.

Key words: lactic acid bacteria, salt stress, molecular mechanism, compatible solutes, ion transport, stress regulation system