Abstract
The application of bacterial cultures in food fermentation is a novel strategy to increase the “natural” levels of bioactive compounds. The unique ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to produce folate, B vitamins, and conjugated linolenic acid cis9trans11 C18:2 (CLA) during cold storage up to 21 days was studied. Although some species of LAB can produce folates and other important nutrients, little is known about the production ability of yogurt starter cultures. Pasteurized milk samples were inoculated with four different combinations of commercially available yogurt vaccines, including starter cultures of Bifidobacterium bifidum. Both the type of vaccine and the time of storage at 8 °C had a significant effect on the folate and CLA contents in the tested fermented milks. The highest folate content (105.4 µg/kg) was found in fresh fermented milk inoculated with Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Only the mix of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum showed potential (59% increase) to synthesize folate during seven days of storage. A significant increase in the content of CLA, when compared to fresh fermented milk, was observed during cold storage for up to 21 days in products enriched with Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Highlights
Improving the nutritional value of food is one of the major challenges for the food industry of the twenty-first century
The folate content in milk after pasteurization, which is a basic material for the production of fermented milk beverages, is not very high when compared to other folate-rich foods
Dairy products are often fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) alone or in combination with other microorganisms before consumption [15]
Summary
Improving the nutritional value of food is one of the major challenges for the food industry of the twenty-first century. Folates belong to the water-soluble B vitamins group and are essential components of the human diet for the synthesis reaction of nucleotides and vitamins They are the source of methyl groups in the process of homocysteine remethylation to methionine [1,5]. Despite such an important role, acquired folate deficiency is common and affects billions of people worldwide, both in developing and developed countries and in different age groups. This micronutrient deficiency is associated with poor diet, malabsorption, alcohol consumption, obesity, and kidney failure [1,4]. Prolonged insufficient folate consumption is linked to macrocytic anemia, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), certain forms of cancers (colorectal, breast, cervical, lung, pancreatic cancer), and even an increased risk of depressive mental disorders [6,7]
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