Growth and Kinetics of Lactobacillus Plantarum in the Fermentation of Edible Irish Brown Seaweeds

The aim of the present study was to see the applicability of using brown edible seaweeds as a sole source of nutrition for the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Growth kinetics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB; Lactobacillus plantarum) was studied using three species of edible Irish brown seaweeds Himanthalia elongata, Laminaria digitata and Laminaria saccharina. As part of the screening process, growth of the LAB was carried out on raw and heat treated forms of seaweeds. The seaweed species in their raw state could not support the growth of L. plantarum. Heat treatment resulted in almost 4 times increase in the total sugar content in L. digitata and L. saccharina broth which allowed the growth of L. plantarum for 24 h after which the cell number started decreasing. The Laminaria spp. contains a high content of laminaran polysaccharide which can be fermented by LAB. In case of H. elongata, neither raw nor heat treated forms could be fermented; even though the total sugar content increased 4.6 times upon the application of heat. Kinetics of cell growth, lactic acid and acetic acid production was evaluated at different agitation rates in heat treated seaweeds. A maximum log CFU/ml of 10 was achieved at the end of 16 h to 24 h of fermentation for L. saccharina and L. digitata, respectively. The cell growth increased and lactic acid accumulation decreased as the agitation speed was increased from 0 to 100 rpm. Maximum lactic acid accumulation of 2.5 g/l was achieved under static (0 rpm) conditions. The production of acetic acid was very minimal during the entire course of fermentation. Experimental data was mathematically modelled to optimize the cell growth and lactic acid production with respect to the different rotation conditions. The results of this study present an indication of the potential of fermentation of seaweeds using LAB with a possibility towards the development of a range of functional foods

Green label marinades: A solution to salmonella and campylobacter in chicken products?

Introduction: The presence of meat-borne pathogens entering the home remains a concern for consumers, despite advances made in improving antimicrobial interventions and systems within the processing line. Naturally antibacterial food ingredients including citrus juice and essential oils have been proven to inhibit the proliferation of microbial growth with varying success. Aims: This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial and sensory effects of mixtures of essential oils, fruit juices and herbs at established Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for their biopreservative effect on general microbiota of chicken and against chicken challenged with selected pathogenic/surrogate microorganisms. Materials and methods: Three marinade compositions were designed for use on chicken meat; lemon juice, thyme oil and black pepper (M1), lime juice, lemongrass oil and chilli paste (M2), and olive oil, oregano oil, basil oil and garlic paste (M3). These marinades were assessed for antibacterial effects against Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni and Listeria innocua on marinaded chicken drumsticks stored in aerobic conditions at 4 °C. Consumer tasting sessions were also conducted with a small focus group using selected final marinades. Results: M1 and M2 were effective at significantly reducing initial pathogen carriage from 6 Log CFU/g to 2 Log CFU/g on refrigerated chicken meat as well as increasing the shelf-life of the product during cold-storage from 2 days to 7 days. However, consumer studies indicate that the flavours these marinades impart to treated products can be strong. Conclusion: These findings indicate that these designed marinades have shown excellent potential to improve food safety as well as shelf-life for the consumer, particularly in settings where food safety is often compromised such as barbecuing or in care settings. However, further recipe optimisation is required to make these marinades acceptable to consumers