7 - Aguamiel a Fresh Beverage from Agave spp. Sap with Functional Properties

Abstract

Aguamiel is the sap obtained from some species of Agave, which are called “maguey pulquero,” this beverage has been consumed as a beverage since pre-Hispanic times. This beverage has a sweet taste, herbaceous odor, and light-yellow color, which is collected by traditional methods and can be consumed as a fresh beverage, after applying a thermal process (cooked aguamiel) that prolongs its shelf life. Aguamiel may also be fermented to produce a traditional alcoholic beverage called pulque. The composition of aguamiel has been studied and is known to contain compounds such as sugars, gums, minerals, proteins, amino acids, and fructooligosaccharides (FOSs). These FOSs (fructans) confer prebiotic properties that favor the peristaltic movement of the consumer, lipid metabolism, cancer prevention, and the proliferation of probiotic microorganisms. Another important feature of this beverage is the probiotic activity, due to the presence of native microflora formed mainly by lactic acid bacteria which can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria by producing bacteriocins. Some lactic acid bacteria present in aguamiel are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, but it is also reported that the presence of other bacteria and yeast such as Zymomonas mobilis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are the ones that allow the alcoholic fermentation of aguamiel. The nutritional quality of this beverage, as well as the probiotic and prebiotic activity, which allows aguamiel to be considered as a functional beverage, is discussed in this document.