Lactic

[Sarah]

Of or pertaining to milk; procured from sour milk or whey; as,lactic acid; lactic fermentation, etc. Lactic acid (Physiol. Chem.),a sirupy, colorless fluid, soluble in water, with an intensely sourtaste and strong acid reaction. There are at least three isomericmodifications all having the formula C3H6O3. Sarcolactic orparalactic acid occurs chiefly in dead muscle tissue, while ordinarylactic acid results from fermentation. The two acids are alike inhaving the same constitution (expressed by the name ethylidene lacticacid), but the latter is optically inactive, while sarcolactic acidrotates the plane of polarization to the right. The third acid,ethylene lactic acid, accompanies sarcolactic acid in the juice offlesh, and is optically inactive.-- Lactic ferment, an organized ferment (Bacterium lacticum orlactis), which produces lactic fermentation, decomposing the sugar ofmilk into carbonic and lactic acids, the latter, of which renders themilk sour, and precipitates the casein, thus giving rise to the so-called spontaneous coagulation of milk.-- Lactic fermentation. See under Fermentation.