A novel lactic acid bacterium for improving the quality and shelf life of whole wheat bread

Abstract

The aim of this study was to screen for a lactic acid bacterium (LAB) that could improve the quality of whole wheat bread (WWB) and extend its shelf life. The LABs with strong antifungal activity were screened among twenty LABs. Both sourdough properties (rheology, tensility, water mobility and gluten structure) and WWB qualities (texture, volatile flavour and shelf life) were determined and compared. The results showed that the Lactobacillus plantarum LB-1, F-3 and F-50 exhibited stronger antifungal activity among the twenty tested LABs. Moreover, compared to the other LABs, the sourdough fermented by LB-1 demonstrated significantly better viscoelasticity, extensibility, and water holding capacity, as well as a more ordered gluten secondary structure (6.49% more than the control). Meanwhile, Lactobacillus plantarum LB-1 can remarkably improve the texture characteristics, enrich the aroma volatile compounds, and prolong the shelf life of WWB from 3 days to 6 days compared to the control group. Above all, Lactobacillus plantarum LB-1 was recommended for WWB fermentation to improve its quality and to extend the shelf life.