Comparative Evaluation of the Antioxidant Capacities, Organic Acids, and Volatiles of Papaya Juices Fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum

Ronghao Chen,Wenxue Chen,Weijun Chen,Haiming Chen,Guanfei Zhang

doi:10.1155/2018/9490435

Abstract

Fermentation of foods by lactic acid bacteria is a useful way to improve the nutritional value of foods. In this study, the health-promoting effects of fermented papaya juices by two species, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum, were determined. Changes in pH, reducing sugar, organic acids, and volatile compounds were determined, and the vitamin C, total phenolic content, and flavonoid and antioxidant capacities during the fermentation process were investigated. Juices fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum had similar changes in pH and reducing sugar content during the 48 h fermentation period. Large amounts of aroma-associated compounds and organic acids were produced, especially lactic acid, which increased significantly (p<0.05) (543.18 mg/100 mL and 571.29 mg/100 mL, resp.), improving the quality of the beverage. In contrast, the production of four antioxidant capacities in the fermented papaya juices showed different trends after 48 hours’ fermentation by two bacteria. Lactobacillus plantarum generated better antioxidant activities compared to Lactobacillus acidophilus after 48 h of fermentation. These results indicate that fermentation of papaya juice can improve its utilization and nutritional effect.

Highlights

Lactic acid fermentation is one of the oldest and most economical methods used in food preservation, especially as a “natural” process that enhances the efficacy and quality of foods while improving the organoleptic qualities of the product [1,2,3]
The present study investigated the use of papaya beverages as the main substrate for fermentation by two lactic acid bacteria, and a strain more suitable for fermentation was selected by comparing the different physicochemical properties of fermentation
The results show that, during papaya juice fermentation, both strains produced a large amount of volatiles with generally similar changes

Summary

Introduction

Lactic acid fermentation is one of the oldest and most economical methods used in food preservation, especially as a “natural” process that enhances the efficacy and quality of foods while improving the organoleptic qualities of the product [1,2,3]. Many countries have conducted extensive research and development on probiotic-fermented fruit and vegetable beverages in recent years, especially in Korea, India, and Brazil. These studies have used watermelons, tomatoes, apples, and so on as raw materials for fermentation by lactic acid bacteria [9,10,11]. An important aspect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation is the production of organic acids, sugar polymers, aromatic compounds, vitamins, polyphenolic compounds, and some useful enzymes, which enrich the human diet [12, 13]. The fermentation products generated by different lactic acid bacteria are not the same. Significant differences in the antioxidant activity and composition of fermented products can be generated by specific probiotic strains [16]

Methods

Results

Conclusion