Fermented unripe cornelian cherry as a functional food

Consumer trends are changing due to the increasing awareness of the link between diet and health. The largest segment of the functional food market comprises foods fortified with probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics. Fruits already containing high levels of beneficial substances can be reinforced with probiotic bacteria that can bring about additional health promoting features. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) fruits are rich sources of polyphenols and iridoids, valuable for fresh consumption or processing. Unripe fruits is manufactured by Arboretum in Bolestraszyce as a traditional product. The aim of this work was to evaluate the probiotic strains in order to determine their potential in the development of new starter cultures for functional food – green fermented cornelian cherry

In vitro anti-adherence effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains on human enteropathogens

Probiotic bacteria possess great potential for producing antimicrobial substances that inhibit and control pathogenic bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-adherence properties of the probiotic Lactobacillus strains Lb. rhamnosus ŁOCK 0900, Lb. rhamnosus ŁOCK 0908, and Lb. casei ŁOCK 0919 (individually and in a 1:1:2 mixture) against the reference pathogens Clostridium difficile (ATCC 9689), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC 19115), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) using the Caco-2 human colon adenocarcinoma cell line. The mixture of probiotic strains inhibited the adherence of all pathogens, from 10.2% for E. faecalis ATCC 29212 to 97.2% for L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115. Of all the tested probiotic strains, Lb. casei ŁOCK 0919 reduced the adherence of S. aureus ATCC 6538 to the greatest extent (by 45.9%). These results suggest that adherence inhibition may involve competition for eukaryotic cell receptors and probiotic bacteria could protect the host cells from pathogen colonization and disease

Functional ice cream with a “clean label”

High market competitiveness as well as increased interest in health-related products forces producers to create new products and innovative production technologies that would encourage a potential customer to buy. The idea of "clean label" enjoys growing popularity due to the strong interest in healthy, unprocessed products and simple ingredients. Currently, products of this type are not yet very popular in the assortment of ice cream available on the Polish market. Ice cream enriched with selected nutrients are in accordance with prevailing dietary trends. An interesting proposal to increase the health value of ice cream may be the introduction of vitamins, mineral preparations and dietary fiber into their composition. The pro-health activity of dietary fiber is related to their beneficial effects on human intestinal microflora. From technological point of view, ice cream with the addition of fiber preparation was characterized by a significantly longer melting time than ice cream without fiber. Another way to enrich the ice cream is the addition of probiotics. Consumption of probiotic-containing ice cream can have a positive effect on human health mainly through immune system. In order to achieve the desired health effect as a result of consumption of probiotic ice cream, it is necessary to ensure therapeutic minimum related to ensuring the minimum number of viable cells of probiotic bacteria necessary to guarantee the beneficial effects of probiotic microflora on the human body (e.g. milk fermented beverages, the therapeutic minimum is 106-107 CFU/g)

Isolation and Some Basic Characteristics of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i> L.) Environment—A Preliminary Study

In light of the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder, there has been a growing interest in finding natural and ecological ways for improving honeybee health. The aim of this scientific research was the isolation and characterization of LAB, which in the future could show the potential to construct a protective preparation for honeybees. After performing MALDI-TOF analysis, of a total of 76 bacterial strains isolated from flowers and honeybee products, 31 were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus, 26 as Pediococcus acidilactici, and 19 as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. The characterization of the isolated LAB displayed that CO2 production was present in 52 strains. The highest biomass productivity was observed in the case of strain 9/1 isolated from red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) with biomass productivity equal to 2.100. All isolated bacterial strains showed the ability to produce lactic acid. The strain 13/3 isolated from small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata L.) displayed the highest lactic acid production capacity in 100 mL of culture, i.e., 1.903 g of lactic acid. The carbohydrate assimilation pattern was examined using API 50 CH tests. All isolated strains were able to utilize esculin, D-ribose, D-galactose, D-glucose D-fructose, and D-mannose. It was also noted that the reduction of sugars is a strain-dependent ability and is specific for individual strains

Biological and Cosmetical Importance of Fermented Raw Materials: An Overview

The cosmetics industry is currently looking for innovative ingredients with higher bioactivity and bioavailability for the masses of natural and organic cosmetics. Bioferments are innovative ingredients extracted from natural raw materials by carrying out a fermentation process with appropriate strains of microorganisms. The review was conducted using the SciFinder database with the keywords &ldquo;fermented plant&rdquo;, &ldquo;cosmetics&rdquo;, and &ldquo;fermentation&rdquo;. Mainly bioferments are made from plant-based raw materials. The review covers a wide range of fermented raw materials, from waste materials (whey with beet pulp) to plant oils (F-Shiunko, F-Artemisia, F-Glycyrrhiza). The spectrum of applications for bioferments is broad and includes properties such as skin whitening, antioxidant properties (blackberry, soybean, goji berry), anti-aging (red ginseng, black ginseng, Citrus unshiu peel), hydrating, and anti-allergic (aloe vera, skimmed milk). Fermentation increases the biochemical and physiological activity of the substrate by converting high-molecular compounds into low-molecular structures, making fermented raw materials more compatible compared to unfermented raw materials

The Use of Fermented Plant Biomass in Pigs Feeding

The demand for animal-based food production is increasing mainly due to the rapid growth of the human population. The effective production of high-quality agricultural products promotes and protects the natural environment, human health, and animal welfare. Sustainable processing involves minimizing the waste stream. One way to use agricultural plant-based waste, which is often rich in bioactive substances, is to produce fermented feed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Corn, yellow lupins, and narrow-leaved lupins are rich in nutrients, and are suitable for fermentation and use in pig feed. They are also safe for weaned piglets. Used as a feed additive, fermented plant biomass has a positive effect on the health of pigs, increasing their weight and improving the taste and appearance of the meat. The fermentation of plant biomass reduces antinutritional substances that are abundant in feed components. It also improves the digestibility of the silage and the composition of the pig’s intestinal microflora

The Use of Fermented Plant Biomass in Pigs Feeding

The demand for animal-based food production is increasing mainly due to the rapid growth of the human population. The effective production of high-quality agricultural products promotes and protects the natural environment, human health, and animal welfare. Sustainable processing involves minimizing the waste stream. One way to use agricultural plant-based waste, which is often rich in bioactive substances, is to produce fermented feed in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Corn, yellow lupins, and narrow-leaved lupins are rich in nutrients, and are suitable for fermentation and use in pig feed. They are also safe for weaned piglets. Used as a feed additive, fermented plant biomass has a positive effect on the health of pigs, increasing their weight and improving the taste and appearance of the meat. The fermentation of plant biomass reduces antinutritional substances that are abundant in feed components. It also improves the digestibility of the silage and the composition of the pig&rsquo;s intestinal microflora

Anticancer Potential of Post-Fermentation Media and Cell Extracts of Probiotic Strains: An In Vitro Study

Background: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), many of which are probiotics, can produce health-promoting metabolites (postbiotics). Purpose: To assess the mechanism of antiproliferative action of postbiotics, post-fermentation media (PFM) and cell extracts (CEs) of several strains of LAB were studied against colon (Caco-2), and cervix (HeLa) cancer cell lines, as well as normal intestine (IEC-6) cells, were used as a comparison. Methods: Postbiotics of various LAB (n = 39) were screened for their antiproliferative activity. The effect of PFM and CEs on reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), ATP production, phosphatidylserine (PS) externalisation, and apoptosis-related caspases 3/7 and 9 activation was assayed. Results: PFM and CEs showed strong dose-dependent antiproliferative activity against Caco-2 cells, up to 77.8 ± 0.8% and 58.4 ± 1.6% for PFM and CEs, respectively. Stronger inhibitory activity against cancerous (Caco-2 and HeLa) cells than against normal (IEC-6) cells was observed. PFM were more inhibitory than CEs, and both generated oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells. PFM of L. plantarum 0991 and L. brevis 0983 induced apoptosis in Caco-2 cells by the mitochondrial signalling pathway. Conclusions: Anticancer activity of PFM and CEs of LAB, as well as the ability of apoptosis induction, is strain-specific

Antagonistic Activity of Potentially Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria against Honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i> L.) Pathogens

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are an essential part of the microbiota of the digestive tract of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Antagonistic activity of 103 LAB strains (isolates from different environments) against 21 honeybee pathogens/opportunistic pathogens (with agar slab method) was screened. The growth of Paenibacillus genus was inhibited to the most extent. The highest antagonistic activity was demonstrated by Lacticaseibacillus casei 12AN, while the lowest by Apilactobacillus kunkeei DSM 12361, a species naturally inhabiting the honeybee gut. LAB isolated from the honeybee environment demonstrated stronger antagonism against pathogens than collection strains. The antagonistic activity of cell-free supernatants (CFSs) from 24 LAB strains against 7 honeybee pathogens was additionally assessed at physiological pH with the microtitration method. The same was determined for selected CFSs at neutralized pH. CFSs with physiological pH showed significantly stronger antibacterial activity than CFSs with neutralized pH. The results confirmed that the mechanism of antimicrobial activity of LAB is acidification of the environment. The obtained results may, in the future, contribute to a better understanding of the antagonistic properties of LAB and the construction of a probiotic preparation to increase the viability of honeybee colonies