Abstract
Lactic acid fermentation of fresh fruit juices is a low-cost and sustainable process, that aims to preserve and even enhance the organoleptic and nutritional features of the raw matrices and extend their shelf life. Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) were evaluated in the fermentation of various fruit juices, leading in some cases to fruit beverages, with enhanced nutritional and sensorial characteristics. Among LAB, Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum subsp. plantarum strains are quite interesting, regarding their application in the fermentation of a broad range of plant-derived substrates, such as vegetables and fruit juices, since they have genome plasticity and high versatility and flexibility. L. plantarum exhibits a remarkable portfolio of enzymes that make it very important and multi-functional in fruit juice fermentations. Therefore, L. plantarum has the potential for the production of various bioactive compounds, which enhance the nutritional value and the shelf life of the final product. In addition, L. plantarum can positively modify the flavor of fruit juices, leading to higher content of desirable volatile compounds. All these features are sought in the frame of this review, aiming at the potential and challenges of L. plantarum applications in the fermentation of fruit juices.
Highlights
The focus of innovations in the food industry has turned to new functions of food, which are prevention from various lifestyle diseases, mainly through the development of dietary supplements, that can affect the intestinal microbial composition
The scope of this review is to provide an overview of recent findings, regarding the challenges and the opportunities of L. plantarum application in fruit juices fermentations
L. plantarum is considered as a versatile species, with advantageous properties
Summary
The focus of innovations in the food industry has turned to new functions of food, which are prevention from various lifestyle diseases, mainly through the development of dietary supplements, that can affect the intestinal microbial composition. Functional foods mainly include probiotics, prebiotics, and more recently symbiotics [2,3]. Dairy products such as cheese, sour milk, yogurt and others are considered as the main representatives of probiotic foods. Alternative food substrates were proposed as ideal carriers or mediums for probiotics, in order to tackle these disadvantages, such as cereals, vegetables and fruits in fermented and unfermented forms [7]. Fruit juices are presumed as attractive good substrates for probiotic delivery. The advantages of fruit juices, as probiotic “vehicles” include: (i) high nutritional value, (ii) positive health effects, and (iii) wide acceptance and consumption by consumers worldwide [8,9,10]. The scope of this review is to provide an overview of recent findings, regarding the challenges and the opportunities of L. plantarum application in fruit juices fermentations
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