Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts isolated from the starter doughs for Chinese steamed buns in Thailand

Isolation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts from the starter dough of Chinese steamed buns from four different commercial sources in Thailand was carried out. Thirty-one lactic acid bacteria and eight yeast strains were isolated. Total counts of LAB were from 1.8 × 10⁴ to 10⁸ colonies/g sample, whilst yeasts were very low from 10 to 2.3 × 10² colonies/g sample. The pH values of all starter doughs ranged from 3.36 to 3.52 and the Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) varied from 11.1 to 17.0 ml of 0.1 N NaOH/10 g dough. All LAB isolates were identified as Lactobacillus. The phenotypic characteristics were used to cluster all the LAB isolates into two major groups (Group A and Group B), with the B group subdivided into four groups. Phylogenetic analysis, based upon partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that isolates of Group A, which all contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in their cell wall and produced dl-lactic acid, were closely related to Lactobacillus plantarum, whilst the strains of Group B that produced l-lactic acid were closely related to Lactobacillus casei. For yeasts, eight isolates based on the D1/D2 domain sequences of 26S rRNA were identified as Candida tropicalis, Pichia stipitis, Candida parapsilosis, Issatchenkia orientalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.     

Fundamental study on the effect of hydrostatic pressure treatment on the bread-making performance of oat flour

The use of sourdough in wheat and rye breads has been extensively studied; however, little is known about its potential effect when baking oat bread. Consequently, the impact of sourdough on oat bread quality was investigated. Two different sourdoughs were prepared from wholegrain oat flour without the addition of starter cultures, by continuous propagation at 28 (SD 28) or 37 °C (SD 37) until the composition of the lactic acid bacteria remained stable. The dominant LAB were identified by sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA isolated from pure cultures. LAB from SD 28 belonged to the species Leuconostoc argentinum, Pedicoccus pentosaceus and Weissella cibaria, while Lactobacillus coryniformis dominated SD 37. The isolated LAB were further used as starter cultures for the production of oat sourdoughs. Fundamental rheology revealed softening of the sourdoughs compared to non-acidified and chemically acidified controls, which could not be attributed to proteolytic activity. Incorporation of oat sourdough into an oat bread recipe resulted in significantly increased loaf-specific volume as well as improved texture, independent of addition level or sourdough type. Overall, the results of this study show that sourdoughs containing lactic acid bacteria isolated from oats have the potential to enhance oat bread quality.     

Adaptability of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts to sourdoughs prepared from cereals, pseudocereals and cassava and use of competitive strains as starters

The adaptability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts to sourdoughs prepared from cereals, pseudocereals and cassava was investigated using PCR-DGGE and bacteriological culture combined with rRNA gene sequence analysis. Sourdoughs were prepared either from flours of the cereals wheat, rye, oat, barley, rice, maize, and millet, or from the pseudocereals amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat, or from cassava, using a starter consisting of various species of LAB and yeasts. Doughs were propagated until a stable microbiota was established. The dominant LAB and yeast species were Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus paralimentarius, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pontis, Lactobacillus spicheri, Issatchenkia orientalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The proportion of the species within the microbiota varied. L. paralimentarius dominated in the pseudocereal sourdoughs, L. fermentum, L. plantarum and L. spicheri in the cassava sourdough, and L. fermentum, L. helveticus and L. pontis in the cereal sourdoughs. S. cerevisiae constituted the dominating yeast, except for quinoa sourdough, where I. orientalis also reached similar counts, and buckwheat and oat sourdoughs, where no yeasts could be detected. To assess the usefulness of competitive LAB and yeasts as starters, the fermentations were repeated using flours from rice, maize, millet and the pseudocereals, and by starting the dough fermentation with selected dominant strains. At the end of fermentation, most of starter strains belonged to the dominating microbiota. For the rice, millet and quinoa sourdoughs the species composition was similar to that of the prior fermentation, whereas in the other sourdoughs, the composition differed.     

Microbiological and technological characterization of sourdoughs destined for bread-making with barley flour

The aim of the present study was the microbiological and technological characterization of laboratory- made sourdoughs for use in barley-flour-based bread-making. A defined multi-strain starter culture consisting of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts from wheat sourdoughs was inoculated into three flour–water mixtures, composed of: (i) 100% wheat flour (ii) 50% wheat flour and 50% hull-less barley flour (composite flour); (iii) 100% hull-less barley flour. After two months of continuous propagation, the chemical characteristics of the three sourdoughs were investigated by measuring: pH, total titratable acidity and concentrations of various microbial metabolites by HPLC (i.e. lactic, acetic, phenyllactic and butyric acids and diacetyl). The microbial traits were studied through viable counts, isolation and typing of LAB and yeasts and PCR-DGGE analyses. Only Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum were detectable in the sourdoughs together with other lactobacilli species which were different depending on the type of flour blend used. The molecular typing of the isolates highlighted that only a few strains among those initially inoculated prevailed. The volume increases of the three types of sourdough were also investigated and a correlation was seen between an increase in the barley flour content and a reduction in the dough volume.     

Effects of two different sourdoughs on the characteristics of Pandoro, a typical Italian sweet leavened baked good

Pandoro is a traditional Italian sweet-leavened baked product, usually consumed at Christmas. It is manufactured according to specific procedures and preparation starts from a sourdough called ‘‘madre’’ (mother sponge) continuously refreshed. This sourdough is the result of a complex microbial association including yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and its use can improve sensory quality and shelf-life of the resulting products. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the use of two different sourdoughs matured at different temperature (13 and 19 °C) on some metabolites, which can affect the organoleptic characteristics of Pandoro. Different samples, taken throughout the 19 h of process, were analysed for the determination of yeast and LAB counts, pH, a_w, carbohydrates, organic acids content and volatile profile. The results showed that, at the end of fermentation process, the sourdough propagated at 19 °C reached lower pH values than that at 13 °C. This was probably due to higher LAB counts (1 log unit higher), resulting also in higher lactic acid concentration and faster sugars depletion. On the contrary, temperature of dough during maturation did not affected yeast concentrations. Different production processes strongly affected also the volatile profile, both of sourdough at the end of fermentation and of the final products.     

From wheat sourdough to gluten‐free sourdough: a non‐conventional process for producing gluten‐free bread

Gluten‐free (GF) sourdough was prepared from wheat sourdough and analysed both in fresh (GFS) and dried forms (DGFS). The gluten content in each GF sourdough sample was <20 mg kg^?1. The dough leavening capacity and the properties of the bread samples were investigated and compared to those of bread prepared using bakery yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Two commercial rice‐based mixtures (different for the presence/absence of buckwheat flour) were used to prepare bread samples. In GFS, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts were found in amounts corresponding to 10⁸ and 10⁷ CFU g^?1, respectively, whereas both LAB and yeasts were detected in lower amounts (about 10⁶ CFU g^?1) in DGFS. When used in bread‐making, both GFS types produced significant dough acidification and exhibited good dough development during proofing, resulting in loaves with specific volume values between 3.00 and 4.12 mL g^?1, values similar to those obtained for reference bread (3.05÷4.15 mL g^?1). The use of GFS was effective in lowering the bread staling rate during storage for up to 7 days.     

Evolution of fermenting microbiota in tarhana produced under controlled technological conditions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evolution of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts during the fermentation of tarhana produced with some pasteurised ingredients and carried out at 30 and 40 °C. The chemical parameters were those typical for tarhana production. Coliform bacteria were not detected during fermentation, while LAB and yeasts were in the range 10⁷-10⁸ colony forming units (CFU) g⁻¹. Plate counts showed an optimal development of both fermenting microbial groups and the differences in cell concentrations were not significant (P > 0.05). LAB were isolated during fermentation and grouped on the basis of phenotypic and polymorphic characteristics. LAB isolates were identified by a combined genetic approach consisting of 16S/23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ITS) and partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis. Hence, the pasteurisation of the vegetable ingredients, excluded wheat flour, enhanced the hygienic conditions of tarhana without influencing the normal evolution of LAB. However, the fermentation at 40 °C favoured pediococci, while the production at 30 °C was mainly characterised by lactobacilli. Yeasts, identified by the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the 5.8S ITS rRNA gene, were mainly represented by the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae in both productions.     

Influence of the addition of lupin sourdough with different lactobacilli on dough properties and bread quality

The aim of this research was to study the effects of solid‐state fermentation (SSF) with Lactobacillus sakei, Pediococcus pentosaceus and P. acidilactici on lupine sourdough parameters and lupine sourdough influence on the physical dough properties and wheat bread quality. The results showed that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) significantly reduced the pH and increased total titratable acidity (TTA) of SSF lupine. The highest protease activity in lupine is excreted by L. sakei (187.1 ± 8.6 PU g^?1), and the highest amylase activity, by P. pentosaceus (155.8 ± 7.5 AU g^?1). Lupine sourdough has a significant effect on the rheological properties of doughs, which affect the baking characteristics of the final product. In conclusion, it can be said that L. sakei, P. pentosaceus and P. acidilactici could be used for lupine SSF, and the addition of up to the 10% SSF lupine products increases the wheat–lupine bread quality.     

The bacteriocin producer Lactobacillus amylovorus DCE 471 is a competitive starter culture for type II sourdough fermentations

Type II sourdoughs were prepared using Lactobacillus amylovorus DCE 471, a producer of the bacteriocin amylovorin L. The strain was used as a starter culture for rye and wheat sourdoughs on laboratory scale (10 L), and in rye sourdough on pilot scale (100 L). The sourdoughs were acidified to a pH of around 3.5 within 15 h (laboratory dough) to 25 h (pilot‐scale dough). Final amylovorin L titres of 0.3–0.4 (laboratory scale) and 0.2 (pilot scale) MAU kg^?1 of sourdough were detected. After baking of wheat dough that was supplemented with the pilot‐scale sourdough, no amylovorin L activity was recovered from the breadcrumbs. On laboratory scale, aeration or the addition of complex carbohydrates hardly affected growth or amylovorin L production. Rye and wheat sourdough fermentation were rather similar despite differences in sugar concentrations. The persistence of L. amylovorus DCE 471 during rye sourdough fermentation, both on laboratory and pilot scale, was confirmed by repetitive sequence‐based polymerase chain reaction (rep‐PCR) and by testing isolates towards an amylovorin L‐sensitive organism. Further, rep‐PCR indicated that the background microbiota of the flour—probably responsible for the production of low amounts of acetic acid—grew poorly and were overgrown by L. amylovorus DCE 471 during the pilot‐scale fermentation. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Control of lactic acid bacteria in fermented beverages using lysozyme and nisin: test of traditional beverage boza as a model food system

The objective of this study was to increase quality and limited shelf‐life of boza (3–15 days), a traditional Balkan origin fermented beverage using lysozyme (LYS) and/or nisin (NIS). For this purpose, the effectiveness of NIS, LYS and LYS:NIS combinations was first tested in a broth medium at 4 °C for 3 weeks on Lactobacillus plantarum, one of the frequently isolated lactic acid bacteria in boza. Stability of LYS and NIS in boza, their effects on LAB counts, and chemical and sensory properties of boza were then evaluated during cold storage at 4 °C. Results of LAB counts as well as pH, d ‐ and l ‐lactic acid, and titratable acidity measurements showed that LAB in boza containing NIS (250 μg g^?1) or LYS:NIS (500:250 μg g^?1) could be controlled without reducing LAB counts below 6 log CFU mL^?1 during 2 weeks shelf‐life. In contrast, LYS (500 μg g^?1) alone could not control LAB in boza to delay its acidic spoilage. Positive effects of NIS and LYS:NIS application on quality of boza were also proved with sensory analysis by panelists and e‐nose measurements. This work showed that use of natural GRAS agents in preservation of fermented beverages containing probiotic LAB is possible without affecting their characteristic aroma and flavour.     

Studies concerning the use of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus helveticus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kluyveromyces marxianus</Emphasis> for rye sourdough fermentation

The aim of this study was to investigate the fermentation behaviour, antioxidant activity and rheological behaviour of the sourdoughs prepared with Lactobacillus helveticus and Kluyveromyces marxianus. The final acidity of the sourdough after 18 h of fermentation was higher at higher temperatures (40 °C) and for the formulations with whole rye flour. The highest lactic/acetic acid ratios were obtained in case of more fluid sourdoughs fermented at 40 °C. The antioxidant properties of the sourdoughs are correlated with metabolic activity of the microorganisms, the DPPH radical scavenging activity being higher for optimum conditions of Lactobacillus helveticus growth. On the other hand, the rheological properties of the sourdoughs are not significantly influenced by the temperature. Sourdoughs formulations with whole flour are more viscous, as well as the controls fermented by the spontaneous microflora. The results of the bread-making process simulation by means of Mixolab indicate differences between dough formulations mainly depending on flour type.     

A novel NADH fluorescence-based method for identifying and monitoring lactic acid bacteria growths in kimchi

NADH-based fluorescence method was developed to enumerate and differentiate lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The growths of LAB were determined at −1.5–30 ℃ in MRS medium and kimchi juice. LAB growths were measured by viable cell counting and measuring culture turbidity (A₆₀₀) and NADH fluorescence at 460 nm (F₄₆₀). Each LAB strain had a unique F₄₆₀ value at different growth temperatures. Based on the F₄₆₀ values of LAB strains cultivated at different temperatures, LAB were identified and counted at the species and genus levels in MRS medium and kimchi juice. The fluorescence method was also used to measure changes in LAB dynamics during kimchi fermentation. Obvious increases in F₄₆₀ values were observed for kimchi samples with LAB counts of > 8 log CFU mL⁻¹, except for Weissella koreensis. Our results indicate that the devised NADH fluorescence method can be used to determine the progress of kimchi fermentation and LAB growths during kimchi storage.     

Volatile compounds in wheat sourdoughs produced by lactic acid bacteria and sourdough yeasts

The content of volatile compounds in wheat sourdoughs fermented with four different starter cultures of the genusLactobacillus was compared with those in chemically acidified doughs. Sourdoughs as well as chemically acidified doughs were also combined with four different sourdough yeasts to investigate the effect of adding yeasts on the production of volatiles. The volatile compounds in the doughs were isolated by a dynamic headspace technique, analysed by gas chromatography (GC), and identified on the basis of GC retention times for reference compounds and mass spectrometry. Few volatile compounds were identified in the chemically acidified doughs compared to the sourdoughs. The content of volatile compounds in the sourdoughs varied with the starter culture used. Ethanol and ethyl acetate were produced in the highest amounts in sourdoughs fermented with heterofermentative cultures, especiallyL. sanfrancisco. Apart from ethanol,n-hexanol was the dominating alcohol in all the sourdoughs. The content of other compounds was low. When sourdough yeasts were added to the sourdoughs, the number and amount of volatile compounds increased. The content of ethanol, 2-methyl-propanol and 2/3-methyl-1-butanol was highest in the sourdoughs with addedSaccharomyces cerevisiae, whereas the ethyl acetate content was highest in the sourdoughs with added strain A. The content of esters other than ethyl acetate was low. The carbonyls acetoin and diacetyl were produced in small amounts in the sourdoughs with the addition of strain A.

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Flüchtige Aromastoffe in Weizensauerteigen bei der Herstellung unter Zugabe vonLactobacillus und Sauerteighefe

Zusammenfassung Der Gehalt flüchtiger Aromastoffe in Weizensauerteigen, mit 4 verschiedenen Starterkulturen desLactobacillus fermentiert, wurde mit dem Gehalt an flüchtigen Aromastoffen in chemisch gesäuerten Teigen verglichen. Sauerteige sowie chemisch gesäuerte Teige wurden außerdem mit Zugabe von 4 verschiedenen Sauerteighefen hergestellt, um den Einfluß einer Hefezugabe auf die Bildung von flüchtigen Aromastoffen zu untersuchen. Die flüchtigen Aromastoffe der Teige wurden durch eine dynamische Headspace-Technik isoliert, gaschromatographisch analysiert, und auf Grund von Retentionszeiten, Referenzstoffen und Massenspektrometrie identifiziert. Wenige flüchtige Aromastoffe wurden von den chemisch gesäuerten Teigen isoliert im Vergleich zu den Sauerteigen. Der Gehalt an flüchtigen Aromastoffen änderte sich mit der verwendeten Starterkultur. Der höchste Gehalt an Ethanol und Ethylacetat bildete sich in Sauerteigen mit heterofermentativen Kulturen, insbesondere bei der Kultur mitL. sanfrancisco. Neben Ethanol warn-Hexanol der dominierende Alkohol in sämtlichen Sauerteigen. Der Gehalt anderer Aromastoffe war gering. Bei den mit Sauerteighefen angesetzten Sauerteigen erhöhte sich die Anzahl und der Gehalt an Aromastoffen. Ein Höchstgehalt an Ethanol, 2-Methyl-1-Propanol und 2/3-Methyl-1-Butanol erwiesen sich in Sauerteigen mitS. cerevisiae, während der höchste Gehalt an Ethylacetat sich in mit dem Stamm A angesetzten Sauerteigen befand. Der Gehalt an Ester, außer Ethylacetat, war gering. Die Carbonyle Acetoin und Diacetyl bildeten sich in kleinen Mengen in Sauerteigen unter Zugabe von Stamm A.

     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from oat sourdoughs and investigation into their potential for the improvement of oat bread quality

The use of sourdough in wheat and rye breads has been extensively studied; however, little is known about its potential effect when baking oat bread. Consequently, the impact of sourdough on oat bread quality was investigated. Two different sourdoughs were prepared from wholegrain oat flour without the addition of starter cultures, by continuous propagation at 28 (SD 28) or 37 °C (SD 37) until the composition of the lactic acid bacteria remained stable. The dominant LAB were identified by sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA isolated from pure cultures. LAB from SD 28 belonged to the species Leuconostoc argentinum, Pedicoccus pentosaceus and Weissella cibaria, while Lactobacillus coryniformis dominated SD 37. The isolated LAB were further used as starter cultures for the production of oat sourdoughs. Fundamental rheology revealed softening of the sourdoughs compared to non-acidified and chemically acidified controls, which could not be attributed to proteolytic activity. Incorporation of oat sourdough into an oat bread recipe resulted in significantly increased loaf-specific volume as well as improved texture, independent of addition level or sourdough type. Overall, the results of this study show that sourdoughs containing lactic acid bacteria isolated from oats have the potential to enhance oat bread quality.     

Populations and potential association of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with lactic acid bacteria in naturally fermented Korean rice wine

The microbial populations focused on predominant yeast species and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in 15 commercial makgeolli brands, where a fungal starter nuruk was used were examined. Viable yeast counts were obtained on yeast potato dextrose (YPD) and MRS agar containing sodium azide. MRS-C (0.1% cycloheximide supplemented) was used for selective counts of LAB. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be predominant in the 15 samples tested, with an average count of 4.6×10⁷ CFU/mL. Contrary to the earlier studies, Lactobacillus plantarum and Weissella cibaria were shown as predominant LAB species with an average count of 1.7×10⁷ CFU/mL. Surprisingly, as many as 7 log viable cells/mL were present at the ethyl alcohol concentration of 6–7%. The data from real-time PCR also indicated that the yeast populations remains almost constant during the refrigerated storage of 12 days, while that of LAB decrease slightly first 9 days and increase after then, despite the overall increase in acidity. Data from the differential microbial counts suggest that yeast S. cerevisiae might be associated with 2 LAB species, L. plantarum and W. cibaria, under ethyl alcohol stress during the turbid rice wine fermentation.     

Free D- and L-Amino Acid Evolution During Sourdough Fermentation and Baking

The evolution of free D- and L-amino acids in sourdoughs started with various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts was studied. Lactobacillus brevis subsp. lindneri CB1 and Lactobacillus plantrum DC400 had high proteolytic activity. During sourdough fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 141 and Saccharomyces exiguus M14 sequentially utilized free amino acids produced by bacterial activity. Due to increased cell yeast autolysis, more S. exiguus M14 inocula caused more free amino acids which were partially utilized by LAB without causing hydrolysis of wheat flour protein. D-alanine, D-glutamic acid and traces of other D-isomers were observed in sourdoughs fermented with L. brevis subsp. lindneri CB1 and S. cerevisiae 141. Free total D- and L-amino acid content decreased by more than 44% after baking the sourdoughs. No abiotic generation of new D-amino acid isomers was detected in the baked sourdoughs.     

Impact of ecological factors on the stability of microbial associations in sourdough fermentation

The limits for the stability of the microbial association 1 (Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis and Candida humilis) and association 2 (Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus johnsonii and Issatchenkia orientalis) during sourdough fermentation were evaluated by investigating the effects of the ecological factors substrate, refreshment time, temperature, amount of backslopping and competing species in different combinations on their growth. Sourdoughs were fermented in 28 batches under different conditions using the associations and possible competing strains as starters. The dominating microbiota was characterized by bacteriological culture, rRNA gene sequence analysis and RAPD-PCR. Association 1 was found to be competitive in doughs with rye and wheat flour at temperatures between 20 and 30 °C, refreshment times of 12 and 24 h, amounts of backslopping dough from 5 to 20% and against all competing lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The processing parameters for the competitiveness of the association 2 were temperatures of 35-40 °C, refreshment times of 12-24 h and the substrates rye bran, wheat and rye flour, but not in every case. Issatchenkia orientalis could only grow when enough oxygen was available. Its cell counts fell rapidly under the limit of detection when using high amounts of doughs (small ratio of surface to volume) and refreshment times of 12 h. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that the two associations were remarkably stable under most of the investigated process conditions.     

Wheat dough rheology and bread quality effected by Lactobacillus brevis preferment,dry sourdough and lactic acid addition

The influence of chemical and biological acidification on dough rheological properties and bread quality has been investigated. Two different flour types were used. Dough was chemically acidified with lactic acid. Two types of biologically acidified dough were prepared: dough with dry sourdough and with a Lactobacillus brevis preferment. Wheat dough rheological properties were investigated using the Farinograph, Extensograph and Amylograph. The baking response was also determined using standard baking tests. Addition of acidifiers resulted in firmer doughs with less stability, decreased extensibility and decreased gelatinisation maximum. The biological acidifiers increased the bread specific volume. Lactic acid addition had no influence on bread specific volume. In general, biological and chemical acidification decreased bread hardness. The addition of dry sourdough significantly decreased the lightness and increased the yellowness and redness of the bread crumb. The crust chroma, hue angle and brownness index were significantly changed by addition of acidifiers.     

Biodiversity of lactic acid bacteria in French wheat sourdough as determined by molecular characterization using species-specific PCR

The lactic acid microflora of nine traditional wheat sourdoughs from the Midi-Pyrénées area (South western France) was previously isolated and preliminary characterized using conventional morphological and biochemical analysis. However, such phenotypic methods alone are not always reliable and have a low taxonomic resolution for identification of lactic acid bacteria species. In the present study, a total of 290 LAB isolates were identified by PCR amplification using different sets of specific primers in order to provide a thorough characterization of the lactic flora from these traditional French sourdoughs. Overall, the LAB isolates belonged to 6 genera: Lactobacillus (39%, 8 species), Pediococcus (38%, 1 species), Leuconostoc (17%, 2 species), Weissella (4%, 2 species), Lactococcus (1%, 1 species) and Enterococcus (< 1%, 1 species) and 15 different species were detected: L. plantarum, L. curvatus, L. paracasei, L. sanfranciscensis, L. pentosus, L. paraplantarum, L. sakei, L. brevis, P. pentosaceus, L. mesenteroides, L. citreum, W. cibaria, W. confusa, L. lactis and E. hirae. Facultative heterofermentative LAB represent more than 76% of the total isolates, the main species isolated herein correspond to L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus. Obligate heterofermentative lactobacilli (L. sanfranciscencis, L. brevis) represent less than 3% of the total isolates whereas Leuconostoc and Weissella species represent 21% of the total isolates and have been detected in eight of the nine samples. Detection of some LAB species was preferentially observed depending on the isolation culture medium. The number of different species within a sourdough varies from 3 to 7 and original associations of hetero- and homofermentative LAB species have been revealed. Results from this study clearly confirm the diversity encountered in the microbial community of traditional sourdough and highlight the importance of LAB cocci in the sourdough ecosystem, along with lactobacilli.     

Enhanced nutritional value of chickpea protein concentrate by dry separation and solid state fermentation

A sustainable dry processing method to obtain nutritional and functional chickpea products was developed, yielding protein concentrates suited to prepare products without additives. Chickpeas were milled and air-classified into protein and starch-enriched concentrates. Subsequently, spontaneous solid state fermentation (SSF) with daily back-slopping was performed at 37 °C. The dominant autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains in chickpea flour and enriched fractions were Pediococcus pentosaceus and Pediococcus acidilactici. Strains were selected on their ability to metabolise flatulence-causing α-galactosides. SSF reduced the pH of the doughs in 24h from 6.6 to 4.2. After 72 h, concentrations of raffinose and stachyose were reduced by 88.3–99.1%, while verbascose became undetectable. Moreover, phytic acid reduced with 17% while total phenolic contents increased with 119%. Besides the observed differences in smell, texture and colour, the sourdoughs showed 67% higher water-holding capacity. This natural route to produce chickpea concentrates thus increases both the nutritive and technical functionality.Industrial relevanceIncreasing the sustainability of our food production is required to meet the demand for food of our growing world population. A processing route combining dry fractionation and solid state fermentation is developed to prepare chickpea concentrates with improved nutritional properties. This route is more sustainable as the use of water and thus energy-intensive drying steps are minimised. Moreover, it provides more natural ‘clean-label’ foods, i.e., foods with less additives and minimally processed. Solid state fermentation is used to reduce the presence of anti-nutritional factors, i.e., α-galactosides and phytic acid. Autochthonous LAB were accumulated via back-slopping and employed as starter culture as an alternative to the use of a commercial starter culture. Chickpea sourdoughs with enhanced nutritional quality of chickpea were obtained. The sourdough may be used directly to fortify cereal products like chickpea protein enriched bread or can be dried into a chickpea ingredient for many other applications as well.