Effect of Lactic Acid Fermentation on Phytochemical Content, Antioxidant Capacity, Sensory Acceptability and Microbial Safety of African Black Nightshade and African Spider Plant Vegetables
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Introduction
- What is the novelty of this work?
- Line. 110, what might have been the reason for the difference?
- line 141, line 149 is it not ease of extraction and increased stability in acidic solutions?
- Figure 3 is it TPC or Flavonoids?
-Only one assay is not enough to draw conclusions on radical scavenging.
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Author Response
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Reviewer 2 Report
The design of the study is interesting but, it needs more improvements.
In the introduction section, it should be clearly explained what're the effects of fermentation on these aforecited plants and consumer preferences.
The Major compounds (at least 2 or 3) and their amounts that exist in these plants (African black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and African spider plant (Cleome gynandra)) should be determined by HPLC or LC-MS/LC-MS-MS.
On the other hand, monitoring the differences in amounts of these major compounds during the fermentation process will be more proper for the improvement of this study.
Also, if it is possible authors can test the Anti-diabetic effects, and anti-cholesterol effects of these plants, these analyses will improve the quality of the manuscript.
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 Report
In this work, Irakoze et al. evaluates the effect on the phytochemical content and anti-oxidant capacity of indigenous vegetables from Africa region.
The work is relevant mainly in future bioprospecting as it might open the interest for some useful active compounds.
The abstract is concise and the title is representative
Line 42: "and male-headed household" this is irrelevant, nutrition is a personal choice even if tradition is involved in family management. The statement might be considered sexist, remove or at least rephrase in a gender neutral manner.
Line 63, and lines 70: "Both the African black nightshade and spiderplan" this phrase is repeated, please rephrase.
Materials and Methods
Although modest, the methods are well described and and relevant for the theme of the work.
Results and discussions
Line 109: "waslower" typo
Line 113: "apporximately"
Line 117: "The ability of the starter strains to produce antimicrobial compounds such as organic acids and bacteriocins help to promote the fermentation process" state mechanism
Line 176: "Overall, fermentation increases the antioxidant capacity of the food" state how in a proper manner.
Author Response
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Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
1. The novelty is still not coming. I think that african vegetables have been fermented before using a starter culture and the changes in phenolics and antioxidants was noted. This study is like a preliminary. The novelty is the type of starter culture used and it should come out in the introduction.
2. I asked what could have caused the difference line 110. The differencesinstarter culture and fermentationmedium. You added sugar so there was availability of substrate for lactic acid bacteria. However , that's why i said the phytochemical content may have increased because of the acidity and stability in acidic solutions because the bacteria will only ferment the vegetable phenolics when all other substrates are exhausted.
Author Response
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Reviewer 2 Report
Everything seems in order but I strongly recommend that the authors can do antimicrobial activity assay against some well-known pathogen bacteria (gram + and -) and yeast (e.g. Candida albicans) by using cell-free supernatants of fermented plants.
The manuscript can be accepted until the suggested revision has been done.
Author Response
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