Bacterial Diversity and Enological Properties of Fructophilic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum during Fermentation of Traminette Grape

In order to reduce the environmental burden associated with Cordyceps militaris residue, we conducted a study to explore the feasibility of Cordyceps militaris residue as a silage additive. The experimental treatments included distilled sterile water control (CK), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP, 1 × 105 cfu/g), Cordyceps militaris residue (CM, 4% of fresh matter), and their combination (LP + CM). A total of 48 samples (4 treatments × 4 storage periods × 3 replicates) were prepared for the analysis of fermentation quality, chemical composition, microbial population, and bacterial community composition at days 2, 7, 28, and 45 of ensiling. Results showed that compared with the control, the CM and LP + CM treatments increased the lactic acid bacteria number and lactic acid content (p < 0.05), and a decrease in pH value and NH3-N content was observed (p < 0.05). The bacterial diversity in the CM group was higher and lower than that in the CK group in the early and late stages of fermentation, respectively, and maintained a higher relative abundance of Lactococcus on day 7. Lactobacillus remained the predominant bacterial community at the end of fermentation. Random forest analysis indicated that Lactobacillus was a key determinant of the pH, lactic acid, and acetic acid levels. Consequently, the addition of Cordyceps militaris residue alone, or combined with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, improved the quality of alfalfa silage by increasing lactic acid and lowering NH3-N, providing a new approach for its development and utilization.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important leguminous crop with rich nutrients and wide uses, yet soybean straw is often treated as waste in many areas without sufficient regard for its nutritional value. For the sustainable utilization of biomass resources, this study assessed the fermentation quality, microbial communities, and metabolites of whole plant soybean (WPS) silage with and without Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) over different fermentation periods of 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. With LP, there was a significant increase in dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of silage (p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in pH (p < 0.01). Incorporating LP into WPS silage significantly elevated lactic acid (LA) concentration, thereby improving fermentation quality. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that LP inoculation significantly altered bacterial diversity and composition, notably increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and promoting beneficial shifts in the microbial community during silage fermentation. Notably, LP treatment significantly promoted lysine biosynthesis, a key essential amino acid pathway, thereby contributing to the nutritional enhancement of the silage. Results showed that adding LP to WPS at ensiling can improve silage microbial community structure optimize metabolic processes, produce superior metabolites, and enhance the silage’s fermentation quality and nutritional value, after 60 days of fermentation. In summary, WPS silage with LP addition could serve as a promising strategy for preserving high-protein forage silage.

Bacterial and yeast microbial diversity of the ripened traditional middle east surk cheese

This study investigated the bacterial diversity of geographically indicated Uşak tarhana using metagenomics. Tarhana dough samples were collected from local producers in different regions of the Uşak province. The samples were analyzed for their chemical and microbiological properties. The microbiota was examined through metagenomic analysis using high-throughput sequencing, followed by bioinformatic processing with QIIME2 and DADA2 tools. Taxonomic analyses revealed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis were the dominant species in most samples. In Silico analysis confirmed the presence of Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis in the tarhana fermentation microbiota. Diversity analyses, including Shannon and Chao1 indices, indicated significant variation in microbial diversity and homogeneity among the samples. Differences in microbiota diversity were observed between tarhana produced in the northern and southern regions of Uşak. The bacterial diversity of the tarhana samples showed partial differences at the micro-local level, and these results suggested that the slight variation in bacterial diversity between the northern and southern regions might be related to mild climatic transition.

Indonesia has abundant traditional fermented food with various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which can be developed into probiotics for pharmaceutical and functional food and feed products. This research is aimed at (1) obtaining and identifying LAB isolates and (2) studying the microbiome (bacterial diversity and abundance) of spontaneously-fermented traditional foods of Kalimantan Island, Cincalok, Tempoyak, and Mandai. To obtain LAB isolates, food samples were serially diluted and inoculated on MRS agar that contained 1% CaCO3 (MRSA). Isolates forming clear zones were purified and identified by DNA barcoding. The microbiome was studied using genomic-sequencing techniques and analysed for taxonomic composition. Seven pure isolates were obtained from Cincalok, two Tempoyak, and one Mandai. DNA barcoding revealed that the Cincalok seven isolates were Staphylococcus carnosus (strain HSP-S16), Tetragenococcus halophilus (FSB201), Corynebacterium phoceense, Vagococcus vulneris (SS1995), Enterococcus faecalis (S11-6), Pisciglobus halotolerans (C01), and Priestia filamentosa (P3.1); two from Tempoyak, Levilactobacillus brevis (E1D3BL1) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (UMCC-2996); and one from Mandai, Staphylococcus cohnii (XAAS.x13; non-LAB). The T. halophilus, E. faecalis, P. halotolerans, L. brevis, and L. plantarum belong to LAB. The P. halotolerans from Cincalok and non-LAB in these three fermented foods were the first documented report. The microbiome revealed the dominance of Firmicutes phyla in the fermented foods, with 93% in Cincalok, 89.94% in Tempoyak, and 60.32% in Mandai. On the genus level, Cincalok was dominated by Tetragenococcus 40.33%, Anaerococcus 23.29%, Vagococcus 9.27%, and Lactobacillus 6.84%. Meanwhile, Tempoyak was dominated only by Lactobacillus 89.94%. Mandai were dominated by Lactobacillus 31.97%, Proteus 17.14%, Aerococcus 16.85%, Mangrovibacter 15.15%, and Vagococcus 6.2%. However, Mandai's microbiome LAB was not culturable/isolated on MRSA. The plausibility is that those unculturable LAB require coculturing with other bacteria and additional media components to grow on MRSA. This study is the first report regarding the microbiome of Cincalok, Tempoyak, and Mandai, along with their culturable LAB isolates.

Promoting the availability of silage with a high protein content on farms can lead to profitable and sustainable ruminant production systems. Whole plant soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill, WPS) is a promising high-protein forage material for silage production. In this study, we investigated the fermentation quality, amino acids profile and microbial communities of WPS silage in response to inoculation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) alone or in combination with non-LAB agents. Before preparing the treatments, the chopped WPS was homogenized thoroughly with 0.3% molasses (0.3 g molasses per 100 g fresh matter). The treatments included CK (sterilized water), LP (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B90), LPBS (LP combined with Bacillus subtilis C5B1), and LPSC (LP combined with Saccharomyces cerevisiae LO-1), followed by 60 days of fermentation. The inoculants significantly decreased the bacterial diversity and increased the fungal diversity of WPS silage after ensiling. As a result, the contents of lactic acid and acetic acid increased, while the pH value and propionic acid content decreased in the inoculated silages. The amino acids profile was not influenced by inoculants except phenylalanine amino acid, but LP and LPSC silages had substantial greater (p < 0.05) relative feed values of 177.89 and 172.77, respectively, compared with other silages. Taken together, the inoculation of LP alone or in combination with BS was more effective in preserving the nutrients of WPS silage and improve fermentation quality.

Homemade fermented kimchi is rich in microbial communities and is regarded as an important source of probiotics. In this study, the bacterial community diversity of 40 kimchi samples from Yibin City, China, was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Then, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) strains were isolated from the kimchi samples and characterized for their probiotic properties. The strain with the most favorable probiotic traits was further analyzed to identify its genetic characteristics through whole genome sequencing. The results showed that Firmicutes (57.9%) and Proteobacteria (36.3%) were the dominant phyla, whereas Levilactobacillus (19.2%) and Lactiplantibacillus (12.2%) were the most abundant genera. Alpha- and beta-diversity analyses indicated that each kimchi sample comprised an independent microbial ecosystem. A total of 11 L. plantarum strains were isolated, among which strain HQ04 demonstrated superior probiotic properties, such as high tolerance to acid and bile salts, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production, strong autoaggregation and coaggregation abilities, and potent antibacterial activity. Whole genome sequencing identified five secondary metabolite gene clusters in the HQ04 genome. Additionally, a class II bacteriocin gene cluster encoding Bacteriocin IIc, Enterocin X chain beta, and Plantaricin E/F was identified. These findings highlight the rich microbial diversity of homemade kimchi from Yibin and suggest that the HQ04 strain is a potential probiotic candidate for controlling pathogenic bacteria.

Role of Lactiplantibacillus paraplantarum during anaerobic storage of ear-removed corn on biogas production

The influence of the inoculum on bacterial communities of Spanish-style green table olive brinesis very limited. This work assessed the size and structure of the bacterial communities in olive brines inoculated with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Also, a new qPCR assay was developed to determine the specific abundance of this genus. Absolute abundances of total Bacteria and L.plantarum decrease steadily during the fermentation. Similarly, there were differences in both populations according to the container origin. On the other hand, the dominant bacterial genera were (in decreasing abundance): Vibrio, Marinilactibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Enterococcus, Secundilactobacillus, Loigolactobacillus, Amphibacillus, Pediococcus, Alkalibacterium, Halolactibacillus, Weissella, Lentilactobacillus, and Paucilactobacillus. Colonisation and proliferation of several different genera within the Lactobacillacea family was allowed despite the use of a starter. Bacterial structure presented a broad intra-specific diversity among the different brines. Also, it was revealed that NaCl concentration was modulated the size and structure of the bacterial communities.

Type 2–resistant starch and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 result in additive and interactive effects in diet-induced obese mice

Fermentation has long been utilized to preserve and enhance the flavor and nutritional value of foods. Recently, fermented foods have gained popularity, reaching new consumer groups due to perceived health benefits. However, the microbial composition of many fermented foods re-mains unknown. Here, we characterized the bacterial composition, diversity, and richness of 47 fermented foods available in Sweden, including kombucha, water kefir, milk kefir, yogurt, plant-based yogurt alternatives, kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented vegetables. Via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we identified 2497 bacteria (amplicon sequence variants). The bacterial composition was strongly associated with the type of fermented food, and lactic acid bacteria and/or acetic acid bacteria dominated most samples. However, each fermented food had a unique composition, with kombucha and water kefir having the highest diversity across and within samples. Few bacteria were abundant in multiple foods and food groups. These were Streptococcus thermophilus in yogurts and plant-based yoghurts; Lactococcus lactis in milk kefirs and one water kefir; and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented cucumber. The broad range of fermented foods included in this study and their diverse bacterial communities warrant further investigation into the implications of microbial compositions for product traits and potential impact on human health.

The present study aimed to develop an alcohol-free fermented beverage by fermenting Cabernet Sauvignon grape puree using a defined microbial consortium isolated from kombucha, comprising Hannaella zeae, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lentilactobacillus pentosus, Acetobacter pasteurianus and Komagataeibacter intermedius. Significant physicochemical changes were observed post-fermentation: the sugar-acid ratio decreased markedly from 34.18 to 10.8. The contents of total esters and total phenolics increased by 31.3% (reaching 147.26 mg L-1) and 16.8% (reaching 4.51 mg GAE g-1), respectively. Analysis via gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 11 newly formed volatile compounds, including isopentyl isovalerate (imparting banana aroma, 2035.36-2198.9 μg L-1) and hexanoic acid (imparting goaty notes). Key aroma-active compounds with odor activity values (OAV) >1 were isoamyl acetate (OAV = 68.6-73.3) and β-damascenone (OAV = 98.6-281.1). Sensory evaluation revealed a significantly improved balance between fruit aroma and acidity (P < 0.05) and the overall sensory score increased by 23.5% compared to the unfermented control. The defined kombucha-derived microbial consortium effectively enhanced the flavor complexity and sensory quality of the beverage, providing a scientific basis for the industrial production of novel alcohol-free fermented grape beverages. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Sourdough is a spontaneously formed, complex microbial ecosystem of various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast which, by producing specific metabolites, determines the quality of the baked products. In order to design and control the sourdough with preferred nutritional characteristics, it is crucial that the LAB diversity of the product of interest be elucidated. Using the opportunities of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the V1-V3 hypervariable gene region of 16S rRNA, we studied the microbial ecosystem of a whole grain sourdough made of Triticum monococcum, originating from Southwestern Bulgaria. Since the DNA extraction method is considered crucial for the accuracy of the sequencing results, as it can introduce significant differences in the examined microbiota, we used three different commercial kits for DNA isolation and analyzed their impact on the observed bacterial diversity. All three DNA extraction kits provided bacterial DNA which passed quality control and was successfully sequenced on Illumina MiSeq platform. The results received from the different DNA protocols showed variations in the microbial profiles. Alpha diversity indices (ACE, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson) were also different among the three groups of results. Nevertheless, a strong dominance of phylum Firmicutes, class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, represented mostly by family Lactobacillaceae, genus Lactobacillus (relative abundance of 63.11-82.28%) and family Leuconostocaceae, genus Weissella (relative abundance of 3.67-36.31%) was observed. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Levilactobacillus brevis with relative abundance of 16.15-31.24% and 6.21-16.29% respectively, were the two dominant species identified in all three DNA isolates. The presented results give insight into the taxonomic composition of bacterial community of a specific Bulgarian sourdough. Having in mind that the sourdough is a difficult matrix for DNA isolation on the one hand, and that there is no standardized DNA extraction protocol for this matrix on the other hand, this pilot study aims to give a small contribution to the future establishment and validation of such a protocol, which will allow accurate assessment of the specific microbiota of sourdough samples.

β-galactosidase producing Lactiplantibacillus spp in intestinal microbiome mouse diarrhea model and metagenomic analyses

Sauerkraut is a traditionally fermented cabbage, with a unique taste and beneficial properties, in northeast China. The taste and flavor of sauerkraut vary from region to region, owing to the differences in microorganisms. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to identify and quantify the microbial community composition of the broth and leaves of the naturally fermented Suan-cai collected from northeast China. The alpha and beta diversity of the samples from three areas in Heilongjiang province shown that the complexity of bacterial diversity of the three samples was C, A and B in turn. The Lactobacillus widely existed in fermented sauerkraut, of these, Latilactobacillus sakei, Loigolactobacillus coryniformis subsp. torquens, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum, and Secundilactobacillus malefermentans were more abundant in the sauerkraut leaves than in fermentation broth. Other genera of lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus and Leuconostoc, which have potential probiotic properties, were also present. However, some harmful bacteria such as Arcobacter and Acinetobacter were also detected.