Fermentation of Cauliflower and White Beans with Lactobacillus plantarum - Impact on Levels of Riboflavin, Folate, Vitamin B-12, and Amino Acid Composition

As diets change in response to ethical, environmental, and health concerns surrounding meat consumption, fermentation has potential to improve the taste and nutritional qualities of plant-based foods. In this study, cauliflower, white beans, and a 50:50 cauliflower-white bean mixture were fermented using different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum. In all treatments containing cauliflower, the pH was reduced to <4 after 18 h, while treatments containing only white beans had an average pH of 4.8 after 18 h. Following fermentation, the riboflavin, folate, and vitamin B-12 content of the cauliflower-white bean mixture was measured, and compared against that of an unfermented control. The riboflavin and folate content of the mixture increased significantly after fermentation. Relative to control samples, riboflavin increased by 76-113%, to 91.6 +/- 0.6 mu g/100 g fresh weight, and folate increased by 32-60%, to 58.8 +/- 2.0 mu g/100 g fresh weight. For one bacterial strain, L. plantarum 299, a significant 66% increase in vitamin B-12 was observed, although the final amount (0.048 +/- 0.013 mu g/100 g fresh weight) was only a small fraction of recommended daily intake. Measurements of amino acid composition in the mixture revealed small increases in alanine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine in the fermented sample compared to the unfermented control

Fermentation of Cauliflower and White Beans with Lactobacillus plantarum – Impact on Levels of Riboflavin, Folate, Vitamin B12, and Amino Acid Composition

As diets change in response to ethical, environmental, and health concerns surrounding meat consumption, fermentation has potential to improve the taste and nutritional qualities of plant-based foods. In this study, cauliflower, white beans, and a 50:50 cauliflower-white bean mixture were fermented using different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum. In all treatments containing cauliflower, the pH was reduced to <4 after 18 h, while treatments containing only white beans had an average pH of 4.8 after 18 h. Following fermentation, the riboflavin, folate, and vitamin B12 content of the cauliflower-white bean mixture was measured, and compared against that of an unfermented control. The riboflavin and folate content of the mixture increased significantly after fermentation. Relative to control samples, riboflavin increased by 76–113%, to 91.6 ± 0.6 μg/100 g fresh weight, and folate increased by 32–60%, to 58.8 ± 2.0 μg/100 g fresh weight. For one bacterial strain, L. plantarum 299, a significant 66% increase in vitamin B12 was observed, although the final amount (0.048 ± 0.013 μg/100 g fresh weight) was only a small fraction of recommended daily intake. Measurements of amino acid composition in the mixture revealed small increases in alanine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine in the fermented sample compared to the unfermented control

Fermented, ropy, oat-based products reduce cholesterol levels and stimulate the bifidobacteria flora in humans

This investigation determined the effects of fermented oat-based products containing both native and microbial beta-glucans on plasma lipids and on fecal total bacterial count and Bifidobacterium ssp. The study was randomized, double blind with 3 parallel groups. Sixty-two free-living volunteers with moderately increased plasma cholesterol levels were recruited. In the final analysis, 56 subjects remained, as 6 subjects had left the study either due to lack of time (n = 2), unwillingness to continue the regimen (n = 2), or for other reasons (n = 2). During the first 3 weeks, all subjects received a fermented dairy-based product (control product, run-in period). On the following 5 weeks, I group continued with the control product, whereas the other 2 groups were given fermented oat-based products (intervention period, 3-3.5 g native beta-glucans per day). One of the oat products (ropy) was cofermented with an exopolysaccharide-producing strain, Pediococcus damnosus 2.6. A significant (P = .022) reduction in total cholesterol by 6% was observed in volunteers who had eaten the fermented, ropy, oat-based product compared with the control group. No other significant changes in plasma lipids were found. A significant increase in total bacterial count (P = .001) and Bifidobacterium ssp (P = .012) was observed in fecal samples from volunteers in the group who had eaten the fermented, ropy, oat-based product. This study shows that a fermented, ropy, oat-based product, containing both native and microbial glucans, can reduce the blood cholesterol level and also stimulate the bifidobacteria flora in the gastrointestinal tract. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved