Combined Use of Ultrasound and Vanillin to Improve Quality Parameters and Safety of Strawberry Juice Enriched with Prebiotic Fibers

In this work, a previously optimized preservation treatment (vanillin = 1.25 mg/mL; ultrasound = 7.5 min, 40 kHz, 180 W) was applied to strawberry juice enriched with inulin and oligofructose. The evolution of microbial, nutritional, and sensory parameters of treated juices was studied. It was confirmed that the inclusion of inulin and oligofructose had no negative implication regarding the quality of fresh juice. Furthermore, the prebiotic addition maintained sensory attributes of the product. The applied preservation treatment improved almost every quality attribute during storage, reducing microbial development, especially lactic acid bacteria and yeast and mold growth, which rapidly grew in untreated juices. Nutritional quality was also improved by the treatment as total polyphenol and total flavonoid content were increased and ascorbic acid content losses were reduced during storage, indicating higher antioxidant capacity. Overall, the evaluated sensory attributes of treated juices were deemed acceptable (>2.5). The addition of vanillin imparted pleasant flavor notes to the juice, compatible with the fruit product. Also, the performance of the treated juice was evaluated against postharvest contaminations with pathogens of interest in the food industry and of health concern (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes, evaluated through the surrogate Listeria innocua). The optimized treatment was able to reduce the counts of these microorganisms during storage reaching undetectable values after 7 days of storage. Thus, the combination of vanillin and ultrasound could be a feasible alternative to ensure safety and improve quality parameters of strawberry juice enriched with prebiotic fibers.     

Microbial and chemical composition of Cheddar cheese supplemented with prebiotics from pasteurized milk to aging

Microbial and chemical properties of cheese is crucial in the dairy industry to understand their effects on cheese quality. Microorganisms within this fat, protein, and water matrix are largely responsible for physiochemical characteristics and associated quality. Prebiotics can be used as an energy source for lactic acid bacteria in cheese by altering the microbial community and provide the potential for value-added foods, with a more stable probiotic population. This research focuses on the addition of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or inulin to the Cheddar cheese-making process to evaluate the effects on microbial and physicochemical composition changes. Laboratory-scale Cheddar cheese produced in 2 replicates was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (wt/wt) of FOS or inulin using 18 L of commercially pasteurized milk. A total of 210 samples (15 samples per replicate of each treatment) were collected from cheese-making procedure and aging period. Analysis for each sample were performed for quantitative analysis of chemical and microbial composition. The prevalence of lactic acid bacteria (log cfu/g) in Cheddar cheese supplemented with FOS (6.34 ± 0.11 and 8.99 ± 0.46; ± standard deviation) or inulin (6.02 ± 0.79 and 9.08 ± 1.00) was significantly higher than the control (5.84 ± 0.27 and 8.48 ± 0.06) in whey and curd, respectively. Fructooligosaccharides supplemented cheeses showed similar chemical properties to the control cheese, whereas inulin-supplemented cheeses exhibited a significantly higher moisture content than FOS and the control groups. Streptococcus and Lactococcus were predominant in all cheeses and 2% inulin and 2% FOS-supplemented cheeses possessed significant amounts of nonstarter lactic acid bacteria found to be an unidentified group of Lactobacillaceae, which emerged after 90 d of aging. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that prebiotic supplementation of Cheddar cheese results in differing microbial and chemical characteristics.     

Production of functional probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic ice creams

In this work, 3 types of ice cream were produced: a probiotic ice cream produced by adding potentially probiotic microorganisms such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus; a prebiotic ice cream produced by adding inulin, a prebiotic substrate; and a synbiotic ice cream produced by adding probiotic microorganisms and inulin in combination. In addition to microbial counts, pH, acidity, and physical and functional properties of the ice creams were evaluated. The experimental ice creams preserved the probiotic bacteria and had counts of viable lactic acid bacteria after frozen storage that met the minimum required to achieve probiotic effects. Moreover, most of the ice creams showed good nutritional and sensory properties, with the best results obtained with Lb. casei and 2.5% inulin.     

Influence of flour blend composition on fermentation kinetics and phytate hydrolysis of sourdough used to make injera

The influence of cereal blends, teff–white sorghum (TwS), barley–wheat (BW) and wheat–red sorghum (WrS), on fermentation kinetics during traditional fermentation of dough to prepare injera, an Ethiopian traditional fermented pancake, was investigated in samples collected in households. Barley malt was used with BW and WrS flours. WrS- and BW-injera sourdough fermentations were characterised by a transient accumulation of glucose and maltose and a two-step fermentation process: lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation with ethanol as the main end product. Only transient accumulation of glucose was observed in TwS-injera, and equimolar concentrations of lactic acid and ethanol were produced simultaneously. Final α-galactoside concentrations were low in all sourdoughs. Phytic acid (IP6) was completely hydrolyzed in WrS and BW-injeras probably due to the combined action of endogenous malt and microbial phytases. Only 28% IP6 hydrolysis was observed in TwS injera. Ways to improve IP6 hydrolysis in TwS-injera need to be investigated.     

自制蛋白胨在乳酸菌培养中的应用

为了提高乳酸菌培养过程中的活菌总数,利用自制蛋白胨取代对照培养基中的氮源对乳酸菌进行培养。采用微生物菌液浊度测定法和微生物活菌计数法对培养结果进行测定。结果表明,用自制蛋白胨作为氮源取代对照培养基中的部分氮源培养植物乳杆菌、干酪乳杆菌、嗜热链球菌、双歧杆菌时的菌液浊度和活菌总数均高于对照培养基,但在培养保加利亚乳杆菌时的培养效果不如对照培养基。自制蛋白胨作为氮源培养大部分乳酸菌时的培养结果要优于对照培养基,自制蛋白胨可以取代对照培养基中的部分氮源制作新的培养基,并降低培养基的制作成本。      

Role of the microbial population on the flavor of the soft-bodied cheese Torta del Casar

The purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of the spontaneous microbial population on the flavor of Torta del Casar cheese. A total of 16 batches of cheeses with different microbial qualities were used. Their physicochemical and microbial characteristics were evaluated during ripening and then related with the volatile compounds, taste, and flavor properties of the finished cheeses. Acids were the most abundant volatile compounds, followed by alcohols and carbonyls. The amount of acetic acid and several alcohols were linked to cheeses with higher counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), whereas Enterobacteriaceae counts were associated with semivolatile fatty acids. The gram-positive catalase-positive cocci counts were correlated with esters and methyl ketones. Although the role of the LAB in the flavor development of Torta del Casar is the most relevant, other microbial groups are necessary to impart the flavor of the cheese and to minimize the possible off-flavor derived from excessive concentrations of LAB metabolites, such as acetic acid.     

Green olive fermentation using spontaneous and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus plantarum</Emphasis> cultures

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of spontaneous and Lactobacillus cultures in Spanish style fermentation of olive fruits. A fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 was carried out for comparison. Fermentation was performed at room temperature during 120 days in two different concentrations of NaCl (2.4–13.6 % w/v) and sucrose (0–0.82 % w/v) in the brines. The pH, chlorides, lactic acid, reducing sugar and lactic bacteria in selective medium were investigated during the olive fermentation. After 120 days of fermentation, the formulation with 12 % NaCl in the brine hampered the growth of lactic bacteria, avoiding the consumption of reducing sugars. However, low salt concentrations (≤4 %) promoted a decrease in pH, an increase of the lactic acid and the growth of lactic bacteria, providing best environmentally suitable for the fermentation process. Whereas using concentrations of 12 % NaCl and 0.7 % sucrose showed better chemical conditions, ensuring the safety of the product produced. Multivariate analysis showed that the olives with both cultures were in close relation to lactic acid and reducing sugar and different from lactic bacteria.     

The simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of malt dust and use in the acidification of mash

In brewing, the mash or wort is frequently acidified by the addition of lactic acid or the bioacidification of the mash. The present study provides an alternative approach for mash or wort acidification by the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of malt dust. In this method, fermentable carbohydrates released by the enzymatic breakdown of the cellulosic portion of the malt dust are converted to lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. The effect of temperature, ranging between 45 and 51°C, solid loading of malt dust at 2, 5 and 10% (w/v) on a dry basis, and enzyme loading at 0.65, 2.6 and 6.5 filter paper units (FPU) per gram malt dust on SSF and change in pH in mash acidification were examined. The final pH and lactic acid concentration and final glucose concentration of the SSF media were significantly affected by the temperature of the process (p < 0.05). The highest lactic acid titre (9.7 g/L) and the lowest pH (3.12) were obtained by SSF of 10% (w/v) malt dust at 45°C with 6.5 FPU/g. The pH of the mashing solution [containing 20% (w/v) ground malt] decreased to around 5.4 and 5.2 after adding 1.9 and 2.9% of SSF media with pH 3.39. © 2019 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

The effect of lactose derivatives lactulose,lactitol and lactobionic acid on the functional and technological properties of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus strains

Lactulose, lactitol and lactobionic acid are unabsorbable lactose derivatives with prebiotic potential. They are utilised in varying extent by different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species/strains. To explore the possibility of improving the properties of probiotic strains with a specific prebiotic, the effect of the lactose derivatives on the technological and functional properties of putative probiotic Lactobacillus strains was studied in vitro. The properties studied were growth in different conditions (aerobic versus anaerobic with varying substrate concentrations), acid and bile tolerance, antimicrobial activity, and stability during cold storage. In general lactose derivatives did not effect the technological or functional properties of the Lactobacillus strains. However, our results suggest that lactulose might improve the bile tolerance and cold-storage stability of Lactobacillus salivarius. Finding synbiotic pairs where the prebiotic would benefit the specific probiotic strain is not a simple task, but worth pursuing for, since this kind of capacity would give added value to the synbiotic product.     

Microbial Activity Inhibition in Chilled Mackerel (Scomber Scombrus) by Employment of an Organic Acid‐Icing System

Abstract: The present study concerns Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) traded as a chilled product. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of including a mixture of organic acids (citric, ascorbic, and lactic) in the icing medium employed during the fish chilled storage. To this end and according to preliminary trials results, an aqueous solution including 0.050% (w/v) of each acid was employed as icing medium; its effect on the microbial activity development in mackerel muscle was monitored for up to 13 d of chilled storage and compared to a counterpart‐fish batch kept under traditional water ice considered as control. Results indicated a lower bacterial growth in mackerel muscle subjected to storage in the organic acid‐icing system by comparison with control fish. Thus, statistically‐significant (P < 0.05) differences between both batches for all 6 microbial groups investigated (aerobes, anaerobes, psychrotrophes, Enterobacteriaceae, lipolytics, and proteolytics) and for 2 chemical indices related to microbial activity development (total volatile bases and trimethylamine) were obtained. The surface wash caused by the melting of the ice during storage and the subsequent antimicrobial effect of such acids on skin microflora of the fish can be invoked as the main reasons for the limited bacterial growth found in the corresponding mackerel muscle. Practical Application: Among natural antioxidants, citric, ascorbic, and lactic acids are low molecular weight organic compounds that represent a relevant choice because of their easy availability, low commercial cost, and wide range of permitted concentrations for their use in foods. Present results obtained by their inclusion in a novel icing system have led to a lower microbial development in chilled mackerel when compared to its counterpart fish kept under traditional icing conditions. Such a finding indicated that inclusion of this acid mixture in the icing medium can lead to a marked quality and safety enhancement as well as to profitable commercial value increases.     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria in Taiwanese ropy fermented milk and evaluation of their microbial ecology in bovine and caprine milk

The purpose of this study was to identify species of lactic acid bacteria in Taiwanese ropy fermented milk and to study their microbial dynamics during the fermentation process through conventional microbiological cultivation and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Identification results indicated that Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris and Leuconostoc mesenteroides ssp. mesenteroides were the major lactic acid bacteria in Taiwanese ropy fermented milk. Interestingly, 3 groups were identified as Lc. lactis ssp. cremoris using 16S rDNA sequencing, but they showed different denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis patterns and assimilation of carbohydrates. In addition, the microbial dynamics study in different fermentation stages demonstrated that Lc. lactis ssp. cremoris was the most dominant bacterial species in the samples, followed by Leu. mesenteroides ssp. mesenteroides with no differences among the fermentation stages. Finally, the microbial distribution profiles showed that the microbial ecology was different in bovine, caprine, and reconstituted milk, which might further affect the characteristics of the product.     

Lactic acid production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of alfalfa fiber

Lactic acid was produced by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of liquid hot water (LHW)-pretreated and non-LHW-pretreated alfalfa fibers. The Lactobacillus plantarum and L. delbrueckii strains produced 0.464 and 0.354 g of lactic acid per g of dry matter of alfalfa fiber, respectively, by non-LHW pretreatment. L. xylosus and L. pentoaceticus produced lower yields of lactic acid from the same amount of alfalfa fiber, however, their acetic acid production was higher. These Lactobacillus strains did not require any additional nutrients during SSF of non-LHW-pretreated alfalfa fiber. After LHW pretreatment, the "raffinate" cellulosic fraction of alfalfa required additional nutrients for lactic acid production by SSF. Both L. plantarum and L. delbrueckii produced 0.606 and 0.59 g of lactic acid per g of dry matter of fiber, respectively. However, the "extract" soluble hemicellulosic fraction of alfalfa produced 0.38 to 0.62 g of lactic acid per g of dry matter extract during SSF and did not require nutrient supplementation. These results suggest that during the LHW pretreatment, alfalfa fiber nutrients are lost in cellulosic fractions but retained in hemicellulosic extract fractions.     

Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Acetobacter pasteurianus predominate during well-performed Malaysian cocoa bean box fermentations,underlining the importance of these microbial species for a successful cocoa bean fermentation process

Two spontaneous Malaysian cocoa bean box fermentations (one farm, two plantation plots) were investigated. Physical parameters, microbial community dynamics, yeast and bacterial species diversity [mainly lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria (AAB)], and metabolite kinetics were monitored, and chocolates were produced from the respective fermented dry cocoa beans. Similar microbial growth and metabolite profiles were obtained for the two fermentations. Low concentrations of citric acid were found in the fresh pulp, revealing low acidity of the raw material. The main end-products of the catabolism of the pulp substrates glucose, fructose, and citric acid by yeasts, LAB, and AAB were ethanol, lactic acid, acetic acid, and/or mannitol. Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Acetobacter pasteurianus were the prevalent species of the two fermentations. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Acetobacter ghanensis were also found during the mid-phase of the fermentation processes. Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides and Acetobacter senegalensis were among the prevailing species during the initial phase of the fermentations. Tatumella saanichensis and Enterobacter sp. were present in the beginning of the fermentations and they could be responsible for the degradation of citric acid and/or the production of gluconic acid and lactic acid, respectively. The presence of facultative heterofermentative LAB during the fermentations caused a high production of lactic acid. Finally, as these fermentations were carried out with high-quality raw material and were characterised by a restricted microbial species diversity, resulting in successfully fermented dry cocoa beans and good chocolates produced thereof, it is likely that the prevailing species H. opuntiae, S. cerevisiae, Lb. fermentum, and A. pasteurianus were responsible for it.     

纤维素酶和米根霉同时糖化发酵纤维素为L-乳酸

研究了纤维素原料经机械粉碎、稀酸处理、氨处理、蒸爆水洗处理后 ,用里氏木霉所产纤维素酶和米根霉对其进行同时糖化发酵生产L 乳酸 ;并与稀酸处理物料分别酶解发酵进行了对比。结果表明 ,实验条件下 ,粉碎处理、稀酸处理、氨处理、蒸爆水洗处理物料的L 乳酸发酵产量分别为 13 4mg/mL、18 1mg/mL、15 5mg/mL和 19 6mg/mL ,与分别酶解发酵相比 ,同时糖化发酵过程周期短。     

Biochemistry of non-starter lactic acid bacteria isolate Lactobacillus casei GCRL163: Production of metabolites by stationary-phase cultures

Physiological and metabolic traits of Lactobacillus casei strain GCRL163 were studied in a buffered semi-defined medium supplemented with different concentrations of lactose. The extent of growth (maximum OD₆₀₀ reached) was limited by concentrations of ≤1% lactose in this medium. Survival of the strain during extended incubation periods (up to 30 days) in cultures without lactose was found to be better than in cultures supplemented with lactose. Important metabolites detected in lactose-starved (0% lactose) cultures were acetate, as a major end product, as well as ethanol, diacetyl, 3-methyl-1-butanol, benzyl alcohol, 1-butanol, isopropanol, 3-(methylthio)-propanoic acid and other compounds. Viability of recovered cells declined but metabolic products continued accumulating, when the pH was kept constant at pH 5.2. It was proposed that cells entered a non-culturable state but remained metabolically active. Results indicated the potential of this strain, as a possible non-starter lactic acid bacteria adjunct, to survive and utilize alternative available substrates as energy source in cheese curd.     

白酒酿造过程中Lactobacillus panis乳酸合成关键环境因子的鉴定

Lactobacillus panis是酱香型白酒酿造过程中主要产乳酸微生物。然而,不同环境因子对L.panis乳酸合成及乳酸合成途径关键基因的表达尚未有相关研究。作者分析了温度、乳酸、乙醇及葡萄糖4种不同的发酵过程相关的典型环境因子对L.panis乳酸产量的影响。结果表明,不同环境条件能够显著调节L.panis的生长和乳酸产量,且乳酸和乙醇是酿造过程中其乳酸合成的关键影响因素。当添加10.0 g/L乳酸后,L.panis的乳酸产量最高,达到12.3 g/L;当添加体积分数4.0%乙醇后,L.panis的乳酸产量最低,仅为7.2 g/L。使用实时荧光定量PCR方法对不同条件下L.panis乳酸合成相关基因的表达进行分析,结果表明添加乳酸能够显著上调包括编码L-乳酸脱氢酶和D-乳酸脱氢酶的ldhL和ldhD在内的乳酸合成基因的表达。然而,添加乙醇会导致L.panis乳酸合成相关基因的整体显著下调。分析调控乳酸合成的关键环境因素,对于白酒酿造过程中乳酸和酿造微生物群落调控及白酒质量控制具有重要意义。     

Functional properties of curry paste in relation to digestibility and fermentation by gut microbiota

The prebiotic properties of sour curry paste in the upper gut and the gut microbiota were investigated in vivo during digestion. The effect of the addition of garcinia as souring agent in curry paste was studied. Curry paste without garcinia (P1) and curry paste with garcinia (P2) increased the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiota, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the number of harmful bacteria (Clostridia). Fecal fermentation with P1 resulted in a prebiotic index (PI) of 1.19, whereas fermentation with P2 resulted in a PI of 2.75. The fermented metabolites produced were lactic acid; vitamins; and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. P1 produced metabolites including lactic acid, SCFAs, and B vitamins in higher amounts than P2. After a 24 h fermentation period with colonic microbiota, P1 produced vitamins B1 (18.38 ± 0.10 µg/ml) and B2 (45.28 ± 2.02 µg/ml) but not folic acid, whereas P2 produced only vitamin B1 (5.99 ± 0.48 µg/ml).     

Physicochemical and microbial properties of nanopowdered peanut sprout‐supplemented Caciocavallo‐like cheese during ripening

This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical and microbial properties of nanopowdered peanut sprout‐supplemented Caciocavallo‐like cheese (NPSCC) during ripening at 14 °C for 6 weeks. The total phenol contents and lactic acid bacteria counts in NPSCC were significantly higher than those in the control, indicating that nanopowdered peanut sprout could potentially be used as a prebiotic and potential source of dietary antioxidants in the dairy products. Thiobarbituric acid values of the cheese were significantly decreased and the production of short‐chain free fatty was not significantly different when nanopowdered peanut sprout was added into the production of Caciocavallo‐like cheese.     

Characterisation of the dry salted process for the production of the msayer, a traditional lemon aromatising condiment

Msayer is a dry salted lemon used as an aromatising condiment in many North-African food recipes. This preparation is obtained by adding coarse salt (10 g/100 g fresh lemons) to fresh cut lemons in containers kept under dark conditions away from air for around a month and a half. A survey of 52 days showed low initial uptake of citric acid and sugars from the formed liquid phase. Nevertheless, there were still sugars detected even at the end of the survey attesting for the low microbial activity as also shown by carbon dioxide production and microbial viable counts. Indeed, the microbial counts showed a steady decrease reaching 2 log units at the 52nd day of curing. Moulds were detected only at the beginning but at low numbers. No viable counts of lactic acid bacteria were observed on MRS medium despite detection of lactic acid (8 g/l). In contrast, yeasts seem to dominate in the msayer preparation. They count for almost all the microbial population especially after the first week. Six of these acid and halotolerant yeast isolates were identified, by sequence analysis of the amplified 5.8S rRNA and the two internal transcribed spacer regions, as Candida parapsislosis (2 isolates) and unclassified Saccharomycetales (4 isolates).