Research

20 pages, 1554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reconstruction of Simplified Microbial Consortia to Modulate Sensory Quality of Kombucha Tea

by Nicola Ferremi Leali, Renato L. Binati, Francesco Martelli, Veronica Gatto, Giovanni Luzzini, Andrea Salini, Davide Slaghenaufi, Salvatore Fusco, Maurizio Ugliano, Sandra Torriani and Elisa Salvetti

Foods 2022, 11(19), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11193045 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3043

Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented tea with a long history of production and consumption. It has been gaining popularity thanks to its refreshing taste and assumed beneficial properties. The microbial community responsible for tea fermentation—acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)—is [...] Read more.

Kombucha is a fermented tea with a long history of production and consumption. It has been gaining popularity thanks to its refreshing taste and assumed beneficial properties. The microbial community responsible for tea fermentation—acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)—is mainly found embedded in an extracellular cellulosic matrix located at the liquid–air interphase. To optimize the production process and investigate the contribution of individual strains, a collection of 26 unique strains was established from an artisanal-scale kombucha production; it included 13 AAB, 12 yeasts, and one LAB. Among these, distinctive strains, namely Novacetimonas hansenii T7SS-4G1, Brettanomyces bruxellensis T7SB-5W6, and Zygosaccharomyces parabailii T7SS-4W1, were used in mono- and co-culture fermentations. The monocultures highlighted important species-specific differences in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids, while binary co-cultures demonstrated the roles played by bacteria and yeasts in the production of cellulose and typical volatile acidity. Aroma complexity and sensory perception were comparable between reconstructed (with the three strains) and native microbial consortia. This study provided a broad picture of the strains’ metabolic signatures, facilitating the standardization of kombucha production in order to obtain a product with desired characteristics by modulating strains presence or abundance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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14 pages, 2403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Fermentation Conditions of Artemisia capillaris for Enhanced Acetylcholinesterase and Butyrylcholinesterase

by Jina Choi, Jiwon Yoon and Misook Kim

Foods 2022, 11(15), 2268; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11152268 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1281

Abstract

In this study, the fermentation of Artemisia capillaris by probiotic Leuconostoc mesenteroides MKJW (MKJW) was optimized to increase the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities using the response surface method (RSM). The independent variables were the contents of A. capillaris [...] Read more.

In this study, the fermentation of Artemisia capillaris by probiotic Leuconostoc mesenteroides MKJW (MKJW) was optimized to increase the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities using the response surface method (RSM). The independent variables were the contents of A. capillaris, Gryllus bimaculatus, and yeast extract, while the dependent variables were AChE inhibitory activity, BuChE inhibitory activity, and antioxidant activities such as FRAP, reducing power, and DPPH radical scavenging ability. Seventeen experimental runs were designed with RSM and analyzed after fermentation with MKJW. Quadratic models were used to analyze the inhibition of AChE and BuChE, and a linear model was used to analyze the FRAP. The three models were significantly appropriate (p < 0.0001). The highest optimal condition of the AChE inhibitory activity was derived by a multiple regression equation. When the optimum fermentation conditions were A. capillaris 6.75%, G. bimaculatus 0.18%, and yeast extract 1.27%, 91.1% was reached for AChE inhibitory, 74.0% for BuChE inhibitory, and 34.1 mM FeSO4 for FRAP. The predicted dependent variables were not significantly different from the experimental values (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the A. capillaris fermented by MKJW might be used as a natural antidementia improving agent with AChE inhibitory, BuChE inhibitory, and antioxidant activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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0 pages, 1338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

E. tapos Yoghurt—A View from Nutritional Composition and Toxicological Evaluation

by Ruth Naomi, Rusydatul Nabila Mahmad Rusli, Santhra Segaran Balan, Fezah Othman, Azmiza Syawani Jasni, Siti Hadizah Jumidil, Hasnah Bahari and Muhammad Dain Yazid

Foods 2022, 11(13), 1903; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11131903 - 27 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2198 | Correction

Abstract

Elateriospermum tapos (E. tapos) is a natural tropical plant that possess a wide range of health benefits. Recent discovery proves that E. tapos extract is able to reduce weight, increase cognitive performance, and ameliorate anxiety and stress hormone. However, this extraction [...] Read more.

Elateriospermum tapos (E. tapos) is a natural tropical plant that possess a wide range of health benefits. Recent discovery proves that E. tapos extract is able to reduce weight, increase cognitive performance, and ameliorate anxiety and stress hormone. However, this extraction has not been incorporated into yoghurt, and no toxicity studies have been done previously to prove its safety. Thus, this study was aimed to formulate the ethanolic extracted E. tapos into yoghurt and access the toxicological effects on rodents. Forty female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were used in this study and force fed with either one of the following doses of 250, 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg, while the control group received normal saline. The nutritional analysis result showed that the newly formulated yoghurt comprised 328 kJ of energy per 100 mL of servings, 3.6 g of fats, 8.2 g of carbohydrates, 2.7 g of total protein, and 1.2 g of fibre. The peak intensity of Lactobacillus species was observed at 1.6 × 10⁵ CFU/g with a titratable acidity as lactic acid of 0.432 CFU/g, indicating the ability of the formulated yoghurt in stimulating the growth of Lactobacilli. In the experimental study, the E. tapos yoghurt in a single dose (2000 mg/kg) did not show any treatment related to toxicity in any of the rats observed in an additional 14 days. There were no changes in body weight, food and water intake, plasma biochemistry (ALT, AST, ALP, and creatinine), haematological products, and organ weights of the treated groups compared to the subacute control groups. Histological examination of all organs including liver, heart, and kidney were comparable to the control groups. In toto, oral consumptions of E. tapos yoghurt did not induce any adverse effects on rodents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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12 pages, 2064 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects from the Freezing of Either Whole or Crushed Grapes on the Volatile Compounds Contents in Muscat Wines

by María del Carmen Pedrosa-López, Fátima Aragón-García, Ana Ruíz-Rodríguez, Zulema Piñeiro, Enrique Durán-Guerrero and Miguel Palma

Foods 2022, 11(12), 1782; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121782 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

The transfer of aromatic compounds from the grape skins to the musts has been studied using a process involving freezing whole bunches or crushed grapes for winemaking the Muscat of Alexandria variety (white wine). Subsequently, a prefermentative maceration has been applied to some [...] Read more.

The transfer of aromatic compounds from the grape skins to the musts has been studied using a process involving freezing whole bunches or crushed grapes for winemaking the Muscat of Alexandria variety (white wine). Subsequently, a prefermentative maceration has been applied to some of the samples. The aromatic profiles of the final wines have been determined using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that, in the trials in which whole grapes were frozen, the final wines had a higher aromatic concentration compared to that of wines obtained by either freezing crushed grapes or obtained with traditional winemaking techniques. Thus, the wines produced from frozen whole grapes were found to exhibit different characteristics from the rest of the wines. The compounds affected by the freezing either of the whole bunches or the crushed grapes were terpenes, acids, and esters. Lower differences were found for wines produced applying prefermentative maceration after the freezing process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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12 pages, 920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Amino Acid Profiles in Peach (Prunus persica L.) Fruit

by Meng Sun, Bintao Zhao, Zhixiang Cai, Juan Yan, Ruijuan Ma and Mingliang Yu

Foods 2022, 11(12), 1718; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121718 - 12 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2254

Abstract

Amino acids play an interesting and important role in the metabolism of peaches. The objectives of this study were to investigate and compare amino acid profiles in peaches at harvest for future research about the resistance effects, nutritional value of amino acids in [...] Read more.

Amino acids play an interesting and important role in the metabolism of peaches. The objectives of this study were to investigate and compare amino acid profiles in peaches at harvest for future research about the resistance effects, nutritional value of amino acids in peaches and to produce high-quality peach wine. In the study, 10 peaches and nectarines, including white, yellow and red flesh varieties, were selected for amino acid concentration and composition by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed sugar levels in nectarines were higher than in peaches in this study. High concentrations of total acids were found in “Tropic Prince”, “Yixianhong”, “NJN76” and “Hongrou1”. Malic acids had the highest concentrations, compared toquinic and citric acid concentrations. Total amino acids in yellow and white flesh varieties were over 1100 µg/g FW, while red flesh varieties had total amino acids below 750 µg/g FW. Asn was the highest concentration compared to other amino acids, with the high concentration of Asn in “Tropical Prince’ (3279.15 µg/g FW) and the lowest concentration in “Touxinhong” (559.60 µg/g FW). “Jinxia”, “Yuhua3” and “Chengxiang” had better amino acid scores compared with others, in particularly the lowest value in the red flesh varieties. Finally, according to PCA and the heatmaps, amino acids in “Chengxiang”had evident differences to other varieties, which showed the different amino acid concentrations and composition. Overall, the results of this study highlighted three yellow flesh and one white flesh varieties that had satisfactory concentrations and components of amino acid values. In addition, amino acids were the precursors of aroma compounds, so these differences between varieties werea new way to screen the potential varieties for producing high quality peach wines with the anticipated specific characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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17 pages, 4334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biovalorization of Market Surplus Bread for Development of Probiotic-Fermented Potential Functional Beverages

by Thuy-Linh Nguyen, Mingzhan Toh, Yuyun Lu, Sebastian Ku and Shao-Quan Liu

Foods 2022, 11(3), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030250 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2490

Abstract

Bread wastage is a growing concern in many developed countries. This research aimed to explore the biovalorization of market surplus bread for the development of probiotic-fermented beverages in a zero-waste approach. Bread slurries with different initial total solid contents were inoculated with probiotics [...] Read more.

Bread wastage is a growing concern in many developed countries. This research aimed to explore the biovalorization of market surplus bread for the development of probiotic-fermented beverages in a zero-waste approach. Bread slurries with different initial total solid contents were inoculated with probiotics Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856, alone and in combination. Our results showed that, of all percentages tested, 5% (w/w, dry weight) initial total solid content resulted in better growth of the probiotics and higher cell counts, while the texture of bread slurries with concentrations higher than 5.0% was too thick and viscous for bread beverage developments. In addition, the development of probiotic-fermented bread beverages was feasible on various types of bread. Furthermore, food additives (sweetener and stabilizer) did not affect the growth of LGG and S. cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 in both mono- and co-culture fermentation. During shelf life measurement, co-inoculation of LGG with S. cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 significantly improved the survival of LGG compared to the mono-culture at 5 and 30 °C, demonstrating the protective effects provided by the yeast. Our study suggests the potential of using market surplus bread as raw materials to deliver live probiotics with sufficient cell counts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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Review

Jump to: Research, Other

40 pages, 772 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Ingredients, Processing, and Fermentation: Addressing the Organoleptic Boundaries of Plant-Based Dairy Analogues

by Aileen Pua, Vivien Chia Yen Tang, Rui Min Vivian Goh, Jingcan Sun, Benjamin Lassabliere and Shao Quan Liu

Foods 2022, 11(6), 875; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11060875 - 18 Mar 2022

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8302

Abstract

Consumer interest and research in plant-based dairy analogues has been growing in recent years because of increasingly negative implications of animal-derived products on human health, animal wellbeing, and the environment. However, plant-based dairy analogues face many challenges in mimicking the organoleptic properties of [...] Read more.

Consumer interest and research in plant-based dairy analogues has been growing in recent years because of increasingly negative implications of animal-derived products on human health, animal wellbeing, and the environment. However, plant-based dairy analogues face many challenges in mimicking the organoleptic properties of dairy products due to their undesirable off-flavours and textures. This article thus reviews fermentation as a viable pathway to developing clean-label plant-based dairy analogues with satisfactory consumer acceptability. Discussions on complementary strategies such as raw material selection and extraction technologies are also included. An overview of plant raw materials with the potential to be applied in dairy analogues is first discussed, followed by a review of the processing steps and innovative techniques required to transform these plant raw materials into functional ingredients such as plant-based aqueous extracts or flours for subsequent fermentation. Finally, the various fermentation (bacterial, yeast, and fungal) methodologies applied for the improvement of texture and other sensory qualities of plant-based dairy analogues are covered. Concerted research efforts would be required in the future to tailor and optimise the presented wide diversity of options to produce plant-based fermented dairy analogues that are both delicious and nutritionally adequate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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Other

Jump to: Research, Review

8 pages, 6765 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Resistant Protein: Forms and Functions

by Emanuele Zannini, Aylin W. Sahin and Elke K. Arendt

Foods 2022, 11(18), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182759 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2765

Abstract

Several global health risks are related to our dietary lifestyle. As a consequence of the overconsumption of ultra-processed and highly digestible protein (150–200% of the recommended value), excess dietary proteins reach the colon, are hydrolysed to peptides and amino acids by bacterial proteases [...] Read more.

Several global health risks are related to our dietary lifestyle. As a consequence of the overconsumption of ultra-processed and highly digestible protein (150–200% of the recommended value), excess dietary proteins reach the colon, are hydrolysed to peptides and amino acids by bacterial proteases and fermented to various potentially toxic end products. A diet reformulation strategy with reduced protein content in food products appears to be the most effective approach. A potential approach to this challenge is to reduce food digestibility by introducing resistant protein into the diet that could positively influence human health and gut microbiome functionality. Resistant protein is a dietary constituent not hydrolysed by digestive enzymes or absorbed in the human small intestine. The chemical conformation and the amino acid composition strictly influence its structural stability and resistance to in vivo proteolysis and denaturation. Responding to the important gap in our knowledge regarding the digestibility performance of alternative proteins, we hypothesise that resistant proteins can beneficially alter food functionality via their role in improving metabolic properties and health benefits in human nutrition, similar to fibres and resistant starches. A multidisciplinary investigation of resistant protein will generate tremendous scientific impact for other interlinked societal, economic, technological and health and wellbeing aspects of human life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research Advance of Plant-Based Fermented Food)

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