Milk Alternatives and Non-Dairy Fermented Products: Trends and Challenges

The growing prevalence of allergenicity towards cow's milk, lactose intolerance [...]

Use of fermented hemp, chickpea and milling by-products to improve the nutritional value of semolina pasta

A biotechnological approach including enzymatic treatment (protease and xylanase) and lactic acid bacteria fermentation has been evaluated to enhance the nutritional value of semolina pasta enriched with hemp, chickpea and milling by-products. The intense (up to circa, (ca.) 70%) decrease in the peptide profile area and (up to two-fold) increase in total free amino acids, compared to the untreated raw materials, highlighted the potential of lactic acid bacteria to positively affect their in vitro protein digestibility. Fermented and unfermented ingredients have been characterized and used to fortify pasta made under pilot-plant scale. Due to the high contents of protein (ca. 13%) and fiber (ca. 6%) and according to the Regulation of the European Community (EC) No. 1924/2006 fortified pasta can be labelled as a "source of fiber" and a "source of protein". The use of non-wheat flours increased the content of anti-nutritional factors as compared to the control pasta. Nevertheless, fermentation with lactic acid bacteria led to significant decreases in condensed tannins (ca. 50%), phytic acid and raffinose (ca. ten-fold) contents as compared to the unfermented pasta. Moreover, total free amino acids and in vitro protein digestibility values were 60% and 70%, respectively, higher than pasta made only with semolina. Sensory analysis highlighted a strong effect of the fortification on the sensory profile of pasta

Lactic acid bacteria fermentation and endopeptidase treatment improve the functional and nutritional features of Arthrospira platensis

This study aimed at investigating the effect of fermentation and enzymatic treatment on the degree of proteolysis of wet (WB), dried at low temperature (DB), and freeze-dried Spirulina (LB) proteins that affect the nutritional (e.g., amino acid content and profiles, and protein digestibility) and functional (e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial activities) properties. The desiccation treatments influenced the unprocessed Spirulina characteristics because, compared with that in WB, peptides and free amino acids content was 73% lower in DB and 34% higher in LB. An integrated approach, including chromatographic and electrophoresis analyses, was used to evaluate the effect of the different bioprocessing options on protein profiles, release of peptides and amino acids, and the overall protein digestibility. Compared with the application of fermentation with the selected Lactiplantibacillus plantarum T0A10, the treatment with the endopeptidase Alcalase®, alone or combined, determined the most intense proteolysis. Moreover, the treatment with Alcalase® of LB allowed the release of potentially bioactive compounds that are able to inhibit Penicillium roqueforti growth, whereas the combination of fermentation with L. plantarum T0A10 and Alcalase® treatment increased Spirulina antioxidant properties, as determined by the scavenging activity toward ABTS radical (up to 60%) and antimicrobial activity against food pathogen Escherichia coli

Design of a "Clean-Label" Gluten-Free Bread to Meet Consumers Demand

The market of gluten-free (GF) products has been steadily increasing in last few years. Due to the technological importance of gluten, the GF food production is still a challenge for the industry. Indeed, large quantities of fat, sugars, structuring agents, and flavor enhancers are added to GF formulations to make textural and sensorial characteristics comparable to conventional products, leading to nutritional and caloric intake imbalances. The formulation of the novel "clean-label" GF bread included a commonly used mixture of maize and rice flour (ratio 1:1) fortified with selected protein-rich flours. Naturally hydrocolloids-containing flours (psyllium, flaxseed, chia) were included in the bread formulation as structuring agents. A type-II sourdough was obtained by using a selected Weissella cibaria P9 and a GF sucrose-containing flour as substrate for fermentation to promote the exo-polysaccharides synthesis by the starter lactic acid bacterium. A two-step protocol for bread-making was set-up: first, the GF sourdough was fermented (24 h at 30 degrees C); then, it was mixed with the other ingredients (30% of the final dough) and leavened with baker's yeast before baking. Overall, the novel GF bread was characterized by good textural properties, high protein content (8.9% of dry matter) and in vitro protein digestibility (76.9%), low sugar (1.0% of dry matter) and fat (3.1% of dry matter) content, and an in vitro predicted glycemic index of 85

Extension of the Shelf-Life of Fresh Pasta Using Chickpea Flour Fermented with Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria

Fresh pasta is subjected to rapid spoilage, mainly due to the metabolic activity of bacteria, yeasts, and especially molds, which negatively affect the sensorial characteristics and the safety of the product. In this work, chickpea flour was fermented with selected lactic acid bacteria, characterized in terms of the antifungal activity, and used to fortify fresh semolina pasta. Pasta was characterized and subjected to a long period of storage after being artificially inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti. Conventional fresh semolina pasta, produced with or without calcium propionate addition, was used as a reference. The water/salt-soluble extract from chickpea sourdough exhibited antifungal activity towards a large spectrum of molds. Its purification led to the identification of ten potentially active peptides. Besides the high content of dietary fibers (4.37%) and proteins (11.20%), nutritional improvements, such as the decrease of the antinutritional factors concentration and the starch hydrolysis index (25% lower than the control) and the increase of the protein digestibility (36% higher than the control), were achieved in fresh pasta fortified with the chickpea sourdough. Inhibition of the indicator mold growth during a 40-day storage period was more effective than in pasta added to calcium propionate

Extension of the shelf-life of fresh pasta using chickpea flour fermented with selected lactic acid bacteria

Fresh pasta is subjected to rapid spoilage, mainly due to the metabolic activity of bacteria, yeasts, and especially molds, which negatively affect the sensorial characteristics and the safety of the product. In this work, chickpea flour was fermented with selected lactic acid bacteria, characterized in terms of the antifungal activity, and used to fortify fresh semolina pasta. Pasta was characterized and subjected to a long period of storage after being artificially inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti. Conventional fresh semolina pasta, produced with or without calcium propionate addition, was used as a reference. The water/salt-soluble extract from chickpea sourdough exhibited antifungal activity towards a large spectrum of molds. Its purification led to the identification of ten potentially active peptides. Besides the high content of dietary fibers (4.37%) and proteins (11.20%), nutritional improvements, such as the decrease of the antinutritional factors concentration and the starch hydrolysis index (25% lower than the control) and the increase of the protein digestibility (36% higher than the control), were achieved in fresh pasta fortified with the chickpea sourdough. Inhibition of the indicator mold growth during a 40-day storage period was more effective than in pasta added to calcium propionate

Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation and Endopeptidase Treatment Improve the Functional and Nutritional Features of Arthrospira platensis.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of fermentation and enzymatic treatment on the degree of proteolysis of wet (WB), dried at low temperature (DB), and freeze-dried Spirulina (LB) proteins that affect the nutritional (e.g., amino acid content and profiles, and protein digestibility) and functional (e.g., antioxidant and antimicrobial activities) properties. The desiccation treatments influenced the unprocessed Spirulina characteristics because, compared with that in WB, peptides and free amino acids content was 73% lower in DB and 34% higher in LB. An integrated approach, including chromatographic and electrophoresis analyses, was used to evaluate the effect of the different bioprocessing options on protein profiles, release of peptides and amino acids, and the overall protein digestibility. Compared with the application of fermentation with the selected Lactiplantibacillus plantarum T0A10, the treatment with the endopeptidase Alcalase®, alone or combined, determined the most intense proteolysis. Moreover, the treatment with Alcalase® of LB allowed the release of potentially bioactive compounds that are able to inhibit Penicillium roqueforti growth, whereas the combination of fermentation with L. plantarum T0A10 and Alcalase® treatment increased Spirulina antioxidant properties, as determined by the scavenging activity toward ABTS radical (up to 60%) and antimicrobial activity against food pathogen Escherichia coli

Use of selected lactic acid bacteria and carob flour for the production of a high-fibre and “clean label” plant-based yogurt-like product

Carob, an underutilized crop with several ecological and economic advantages, was traditionally used as animal feed and excluded from the human diet. Yet, nowadays, its beneficial effects on health are making it an interesting candidate as a food ingredient. In this study, a carob-based yogurt-like product was designed and fermented with six lactic acid bacteria strains, whose performances after fermentation and during shelf life were assessed through microbial and biochemical characterization. The strains showed different aptitudes to ferment the rice–carob matrix. Particularly, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum T6B10 was among the strains with the lowest latency phase and highest acidification at the end of fermentation. T6B10 also showed discrete proteolysis during storage, so free amino acids were up to 3-fold higher compared to the beverages fermented with the other strains. Overall, fermentation resulted in the inhibition of spoilage microorganisms, while an increase in yeasts was found in the chemically acidified control. The yogurt-like product was characterized by high-fiber and low-fat content; moreover, compared to the control, fermentation decreased the predicted glycemic index (−9%) and improved the sensory acceptability. Thus, this work demonstrated that the combination of carob flour and fermentation with selected lactic acid bacteria strains represents a sustainable and effective option to obtain safe and nutritious yogurt-like products

Maize Milling By-Products: From Food Wastes to Functional Ingredients Through Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation

Although recognized as important sources of functional compounds, milling by-products are often removed from the cereal kernel prior milling process. Indeed, the high presence of fiber in bran and the co-presence of lipids and lipase in germ are often considered as downsides for breadmaking. In this work, Lactobacillus plantarum T6B10 and Weissella confusa BAN8 were used as selected starters to ferment maize milling by-products mixtures made with heat-treated or raw germ and bran. The effects on the biochemical and nutritional features as well as the stability of the milling by-products were investigated. Lactic acid bacteria metabolisms improved the free amino acids and peptides concentrations and the antioxidant activity and caused a relevant phytic acid degradation. Moreover, fermentation allowed a marked decrease of the lipase activity, stabilizing the matrix by preventing oxidative processes. The use of fermented by-products as ingredients improved the nutritional, textural and sensory properties of wheat bread. Fortified breads (containing 25% of fermented by-products) were characterized by a concentration in dietary fiber and proteins of ca. 11 and 13% of dry matter, respectively. Compared to the use of the unfermented ones, the addition of pre-fermented by-products to bread caused a significant increase in protein digestibility (up to 60%), and a relevant decrease of the starch hydrolysis index (ca. 13%). According to the results, this study demonstrates the potential of fermentation to convert maize bran and germ, commonly considered food wastes, into nutritive improvers, meeting nutritional and sensory requests of modern consumers

Exploitation of wasted bread as substrate for polyhydroxyalkanoates production through the use of Haloferax mediterranei and seawater

The use of the halophile microorganism Haloferax mediterranei, able to synthesize poly(hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), is considered as a promising tool for the industrial production of bioplastic through bioprocessing. A consistent supplementation of the growth substrate in carbohydrates and minerals is overall necessary to allow its PHBV production. In this work, wasted bread was used as substrate for bioplastic production by microbial fermentation. Instead of the consistent and expensive minerals supplement required for Hfx. mediterranei DSM1411 growth, microfiltered seawater was added to the wasted bread-derived substrate. The suitable ratio of wasted bread homogenate and seawater, corresponding to 40:60, was selected. The addition of proteases and amylase to the bread homogenate promoted the microbial growth but it did not correspond to the increase of bioplastic production by the microorganism, that reach, under the experimental conditions, 1.53 g/L. An extraction procedure of the PHBV from cells, based on repeated washing with water, followed or not by a purification through ethanol precipitation, was applied instead of the conventional extraction with chloroform. Yield of PHBV obtained using the different extraction methods were 21.6 ± 3.6 (standard extraction/purification procedure with CHCl3:H2O mixture), 24.8 ± 3.0 (water-based extraction), and 19.8 ± 3.3 mg PHAs/g of wasted bread (water-based extraction followed by ethanol purification). Slightly higher hydroxyvalerate content (12.95 vs 10.78%, w/w) was found in PHBV obtained through the water-based extraction compared to the conventional one, moreover, the former was characterized by purity of 100% (w/w). Results demonstrated the suitability of wasted bread, supplemented with seawater, to be used as substrate for bioplastic production through fermentation. Results moreover demonstrated that a solvent-free extraction, exclusively based on osmotic shock, could be used to recover the bioplastic from cells