Preliminary Investigations into the Use of Amylases and Lactic Acid Bacteria to Obtain Fermented Vegetable Products.

Ina Vasilean,Livia Patrașcu,Maria Garnai,Iuliana Aprodu,Valeriu Munteanu

doi:10.3390/foods10071530

Ina Vasilean, Livia Patrașcu + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071530

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Abstract

Legumes are valuable sources of proteins and other functional components. However, the high starch content can be an impediment in developing new vegan food formulations. Enzyme-assisted hydrolysis was used to hydrolyze the starch from chickpea and broad bean vegetable milk to further develop vegetable lactic acid-fermented products. The antioxidant activity of legumes was tested, and it was observed that the overall antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging ability) significantly increased after enzyme-assisted hydrolysis while total phenols content decreased. The obtained vegetable milk was then fermented using exopolysaccharides-producing lactic acid bacteria. A significant decolorization was observed after fermentation in the case of broad bean-based products. Rheological behavior of the fermented products was determined using small amplitude oscillatory measurements and the three-interval thixotropy test. Results showed higher complex viscosity values for broad bean-based products, which displayed a weak gel-like structure. The starter cultures used for vegetable milk samples fermentation influenced the resistance to flow.

Highlights

Plant-based milk or vegetable milk substitutes are water-soluble extracts based on vegetables, legumes, cereals, pseudocereals, or nuts [1], and have become very popular among consumers due to the numerous health-related benefits they provide.Legumes are valuable sources of functional components such as proteins, carbohydrates with low glycemic load, prebiotic oligosaccharides, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds [2,3]
The amylase-assisted hydrolysis of the vegetable milk samples was carried out to increase the amount of sugars useful for fermentation with lactic acid bacteria
The lactic acid bacteria were used for fermenting the vegetable milk obtained after hydrolysis with amylolytic enzymes

Summary

Introduction

Legumes are valuable sources of functional components such as proteins, carbohydrates with low glycemic load, prebiotic oligosaccharides, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds [2,3]. Soybean is the most processed legume worldwide, mainly due to its specific chemical composition consisting of low starch, high protein, and high lipid contents. Starch content is less than 1%, with most carbohydrates being cellulose, pectic polysaccharides, other non-cellulosic polymers, and free sugars such as sucrose, stachyose and raffinose [4]. Non-soy legume products are more difficult to process, mostly because of the high starch content, which absorbs a high amount of water, resulting in thickening of the composition. Legume starches are characterized by high amylose content of up to 65% [8], presenting a high ordered structure of the crystalline granules [9]. Obtaining vegetable milk and derived products out of legumes other than soybean is a rather difficult task

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