Extracellular phytase activites of lactic acid bacteria in sour-dough mix prepared from traditionally produced boza as starter culture

Abstract

Fermentation using Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and LAB species can exhibit extracellular activities such as decreasing of antinutritional factors, in particular phytic acid (PA) or phytate. The objective of this study was to assess extracellular phytase activities of LAB in sourdough mix prepared from traditionally produced boza as starter culture. To do this, thirthy-five boza samples were collected from Central Anatolia, Marmara and Eastern Anatolia regions in Turkey to be used as starter culture for preparing sourdough mix. In each mixture, LAB strains and phytase (+) ones were screened by culture-based examination, characterized by VITEK® MS, and extracellular phytase activity of each LAB strain was determined by spectrophotometry. Overall, 29 presumptive strains of LAB were isolated. Of them, 21 were found to be phytase (+). The average extracellular phytase activity was 656.8 ±188.1 U//mL, and a Pediococcus pentosaceus EK1 isolate showed the highest activity as 1285.5 U/mL. In conclusion, the traditionally produced bozas have been found as potential starter culture reservoirs for sourdough fermentation with significantly higher extracellular phytase activities, thus challenging opportunitites to lower antinutritional factors, in particular phytic acid (PA) or phytate in the foods for the consumers.