Fermented Meat Products Research Articles

Effect of the addition of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis (BB-12) in free and microencapsulated form and the prebiotic inulin to synbiotic dry coppa

The effect of the addition of the prebiotic inulin and free and microencapsulated Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis (BB-12) strains to synbiotic dry coppa formulations was evaluated during 45 days of ripening. The following formulations were made: control C without probiotic and prebiotic; PROB with free probiotic; SYNB with free probiotic and inulin; ENPROB with microencapsulated probiotic, and ENSYNB with microencapsulated probiotic and inulin. The incorporation of BB-12 with inulin provided adequate physicochemical characteristics (proximate composition, weight loss, pH, water activity (aw), and instrumental color). The treatments PRO and SYNB showed lower lipid and protein oxidation levels. The treatments PROB, SYNB, ENPROB, and ENSYNB had viable cell counts above 109 CFU/g and can be considered probiotic. In the in vitro gastrointestinal simulation, the BB-12 strain showed survival and growth capacity in saline solution and at low pH values for all treatments. The sample SYNB was the most accepted by the assessors in the sensory evaluation. Therefore, dry coppa can be used as a vehicle for the development of a synbiotic fermented meat product.

Hydrolysis of pork sarcoplasmic protein extracts by unique staphylococci isolated from low-salt dry-cured ham

Dry-cured hams were produced using two curing agents with low-salt group and full-salt group. The salt content and the free amino acid (FAA) content were measured during the production process. The low-salt group was found to have a lower salt content (P < 0.05) and a higher FAA content (P < 0.05) in the final product than the other group. Three protease-producing strains (Staphylococcus cohni, Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Staphylococcus equorum) were further isolated from the low-salt hams, and their ability to hydrolyze proteins were assessed in porcine sarcoplasmic protein extracts. Gel electrophoresis showed that all strains were similar in their ability to degrade sarcoplasmic proteins. Samples inoculated with Staphylococcus saprophyticus had higher FAA content than those inoculated with the other two strains (P < 0.05). Glycine and alanine were the most increased FAAs compared to the control group. The results suggest that the novel Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from dry-cured ham has potential as a starter for fermented meat products.

Functional and Clean Label Dry Fermented Meat Products: Phytochemicals, Bioactive Peptides, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Consumer demand for specific dietary and nutritional characteristics in their foods has risen in recent years. This trend in consumer preference has resulted in a strong emphasis in the meat industry and scientific research on activities aimed at improving the nutritional value of fermented meat products. These types of meat products are valued by modern consumers due to their nutritional value resulting, among others, from the method of production. One of the major focuses of the current innovations includes the incorporation of bioactive compounds from plant-based food, in relation to the replacement of additives that may raise concerns among consumers (mainly nitrate and nitrite) as well as the modification of processing conditions in order to increase the content of bioactive compounds. Many efforts have been focused on reducing or eliminating the presence of additives, such as curing agents (nitrite or nitrate) in accordance with the idea of “clean label”. The enrichment of fermented meat products in compounds from the plant kingdom can also be framed in the overall strategies of functional meat products design, so that the meat products may be used as the vehicle to deliver bioactive compounds that may exert benefits to the consumer.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Czech retailed ready-to-eat meat products

This study was aimed on the detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in different categories of retailed ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products from the Czech producers and determination of their genetic properties, antimicrobial resistance and virulence. In RTE meat products, 2% (4/181) of examined samples were MRSA positive. MRSA strains were detected only in durable fermented meat products made exclusively from pork meat. Detection of livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) clonal lineages (ST398 and ST4999), SCCmec cassette type V and tetracycline resistance indicate a source of contamination from raw pork. The study confirms the ability of these strains to survive the technological process rather than contamination of meat products from the food processing environment. MRSA strains did not carry any of the tested genes encoding staphylococcal enterotoxins or virulence genes (for Panton-Valentine leukocidin, exfoliative toxins A, B and toxic shock syndrome). Our results point out the spread of LA-MRSA through the meat processing chain.

Characterization of a lactic acid bacteria using branched-chain amino acid transaminase and protease from Jinhua Ham and application in myofibrillar protein model

This study was to screen a strain with both branched-chain amino acid transaminase (BCAT) and protease activities for producing methyl-branched flavor compounds in a myofibrillar protein extract model. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was isolated from Jinhua ham and screened with BCAT activity by an electrochemical sensor and protease activity by the agar plate method. In the culture medium, strain L6 was selected with high utilization rate and characteristic metabolites content of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and identified as Lactobacillus fermentum YZU-06 (L. fermentum). Compared with the previously reported L. plantarum, L. fermentum exhibited an excellent capacity of hydrolyzing myofibrillar protein with the higher contents of free amino acids, peptides and small molecular weight proteins. Moreover, L. fermentum group presented more BCAAs metabolites of 2-methylbutanal and 3-methylbutanal than that of L. plantarum group. In conclusion, L. fermentum YZU-06 is a promising starter culture to improve the flavor of fermented meat products.

Development of Healthier and Functional Dry Fermented Sausages: Present and Future.

In recent years, consumer perception about the healthiness of meat products has changed. In this scenario, the meat industry and the scientific and technological areas have put their efforts into improving meat products and achieving healthier and functional formulations that meet the demands of today’s market and consumers. This article aims to review the current functional fermented meat products, especially on sausage development. Firstly, an emphasis is given to reducing and replacing traditional ingredients associated with increased risk to consumer’s health (sodium, fat, and nitrites), adding functional components (prebiotics, probiotics, symbiotics, and polyphenols), and inducing health benefits. Secondly, a look at future fermented sausages is provided by mentioning emerging strategies to produce innovative healthier and functional meat products. Additional recommendations were also included to assist researchers in further development of healthier and functional sausages.

Purification and Characterization of the Protease from Staphylococcus xylosus A2 Isolated from Harbin Dry Sausages.

The protease generated from Staphylococcus (S.) xylosus A2, which was isolated from Harbin dry sausages, was purified and characterized. The molecular weight of the purified protease was approximately 21.5 kDa, and its relative activity reached the highest at pH 6.0 and 50 °C. At pH 4.0–8.0 and temperatures of 20–50 °C, the protease was stable. Its activity was significantly improved by Ca2+ and Zn2+ ions (p < 0.05). The Michaelis constant and maximum velocity of the protease were 2.94 mg/mL and 19.45 U/mL·min, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters analysis suggested that the protease showed better catalytic properties at 40 °C. Moreover, the protease could hydrolyze meat proteins, and obtained hydrolysate is non-cytotoxic to the HEK-293 cells. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the enzymatic characterization of S. xylosus A2 protease and its future application in fermented meat products.

The Chemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Characteristics of Cangkuk: a Fermented Beef Meat from Kuantan Singingi, Riau Province

Traditional fermented meat products made from the flesh food in Indonesia are still rare, one of which is interesting to study is cangkuk. This research was conducted to study of the details cangkuk processing, the chemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of cangkuk originating Kuantan Singingi. The research consists of two stages (1) surveys and interviews regarding raw materials, formulations, processing methods and sociology of cangkuk, (2) analysis of their chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Sampling method of the cangkuk by purposive sampling, derived from four villages : Sungai Manau, Kinali, Inuman and Pangean. Data analysis was done descriptively. The result showed that the processing of cangkuk had three formulations according to ratio between meat: bamboo shoots and or kepayang seeds:(2:1);(1:1);(1:1,7). Fermentation progress in anaerobic condition for seven days. The chemical characteristics were as follows: the content of water, protein, lipid, ash and pH value were 68-71%, 18-19%, 1,8-2,3%, 1,2-1,6%, 3,6-5,2, respectively. The total lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were 103-108 cfu/g, negative Salmonella, and total E.coli was &lt;3-9,4 mpn/g. The sensory characteristic showed typical of color, sting aroma and meat texture was slightly tender. It can be concluded that the processing of cangkuk from Kuantan Singingi identified by ratio of raw materials and variety of fermentation media, good in chemical characteristic and total LAB, had typical sensory characteristic, but still contaminated E. Coli.

Isolation and Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria of Bekamal (Banyuwangi Traditional Fermented Meat)

Abstract Fermentation technology has been used for decades for dairy and meat products. Several studies have shown an increase in the nutritional value of fermented meat and can increase its safety and shelf life. Bekamal is a traditional fermented meat product found in Banyuwangi Regency. Lactic acid bacteria is one of the natural microbiota of meat that is widely used as a fermentation agent to maintain quality and improve the product’s hygiene and sensory properties. This study aimed to indetify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditional fermented meat products, namely bekamal. Bekamal tested is meat that has undergone a fermentation process for 7, 14 and 21 days, and each fermentation time consists of one sample to be isolated and identified the presence of lactic acid bacteria in it. The results showed that in bekamal, some lactic acid bacteria were indicated by Gram staining results, namely gram-positive and catalase-positive, and the results of the CO2 production test were classified as heterofermentative bacteria. This research concluded that in bekamal, lactic acid bacteria were indicated from Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Leuconostoc genus.

Interaction between protease from Staphylococcus epidermidis and pork myofibrillar protein: Flavor and molecular simulation

This study investigated the influence of a protease from Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis on the hydrolysis and flavor development in pork myofibrillar protein (MP). The surface hydrophobicity, fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and atomic force microscopy analysis indicated that hydrolysis significantly changed surface hydrophobicity and secondary structure of MP (p < 0.05), and improved the stability of MP in water. The contents of free amino acid from MP, especially glutamic and alanine, significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the production of volatile compound such as aldehydes, alcohols and acid were promoted under the action of protease. MP treated with S. epidermidis protease is non-cytotoxic to the HEK-293 cells. Molecular docking analysis suggested that the interaction between the protease and actin was spontaneous and mainly involved hydrogen bonding forces. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for the future application of S. epidermidis protease in fermented meat products.

Determination of Hydroxyproline Amount of Fermented Sausages by HPLC and Revealing the Relationship between Quality Parameters

Introduction: Fermented sausage is the food that has the largest share in consumption among other fermented meat products in Turkey. Although it is difficult to achieve the production standard in fermented sausage production, it is necessary not to exceed the legally determined reference values for quality production. Determining and controlling quality parameters in macro and micronutrients in the composition of fermented sausage, compliance with production standards, storage conditions, etc. has become a necessity.&#x0D; Purpose: It is aimed to determine whether there is adulteration and imitation in the production of fermented sausages, to determine the structural defects during and after production, to evaluate their compliance with legal regulations and their nutritional quality.&#x0D; Study Design: The study was mainly designed on the determination of hydroxyproline amounts with a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography device.&#x0D; Study Place and Duration: The samples used in the study were collected within the borders of Burdur province. All experimental studies were carried out at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKU), Veterinary Faculty, Department of Food Hygiene and Technology; MAKU Scientific and Technology Application and Research Center and Uşak University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Food Engineering Laboratories. The study covers a period of 3 months between October 2020 and December 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of 30 fermented sausage samples, which are offered for sale by butchers and markets, were collected, brought to the laboratory by cold chain and subjected to analysis. After the samples were analyzed in terms of hydroxyproline, physicochemical and textural aspects, they were evaluated statistically.&#x0D; Results: The pH values of the examined fermented sausages were 4.82-5.93, fat ratios were 12.50-38.50%, protein amounts were 12.24-24.49%, total ash values were 2.37-4.58%, salt values were determined as 1.97-4.05%, humidity values as 20.22-50.36%, water activity (aw) values as 0.80-0.97, hydroxyproline amounts as 2.01-14.85 g/kg. In the textural analysis, elasticity was found between 0.51-0.91 mm, cohesiveness values between 0.37-0.85 and hardness in the range of 94.50-2564.13 mm.&#x0D; Conclusion: The absence of adulteration in fermented sausage production, compliance with legal reference values and increasing the relevant inspections are of great importance in terms of the quality and nutritional value of the product.

Survivability of Clostridioides difficile spores in fermented pork summer sausage during refrigerated storage.

Background and Aim:Clostridioides difficile is a spore-forming pathogen that causes serious enteric disease in humans. Strains have been isolated from food animals and meat, including pork, which suggest a potential for foodborne transmission. Pork summer sausage is a popular fermented meat product, which is consumed cooked or cooked to a lower internal temperature due to acidification of the product. The effect of acidity and cooking on the viability of C. difficile spores in a fermented meat product has not been determined. Therefore, the aim was to study the survivability of C. difficile spores in fermented pork summer sausage.Materials and Methods:Fermented pork sausages were prepared according to a commercial recipe with or without starter culture and C. difficile spores followed by fermentation at 37°C for ~12 h under 85% relative humidity until pH 5.0 was reached and further processed as cooked (>57°C) or uncooked (≤57°C) and stored at 4°C. C. difficile spores in sausages were enumerated at 1 h following inoculation and on days 0, 1, 7, 14, 21, 30, 60, and 90 of storage.Results:It was observed that C. difficile spore viability in control unfermented treatment was significantly different on day 0 from the fermented, fermented cooked, and control unfermented cooked treatments (p<0.05); however, there was no significant difference among the latter three treatment groups throughout 90 days of storage (p>0.05). On day 90 of storage, the unfermented control sausages yielded ~4.0 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/g of C. difficile spores compared to ~3.5 log CFU/g recovered from fermented samples and the unfermented cooked control samples identifying spore viability in all treatment groups.Conclusion:C. difficile spores were found to survive the acidity and cooking of fermented pork summer sausage and storage at 4°C for 3 months, thereby highlighting the need for effective intervention strategies to reduce the risk of C. difficile contamination in pork products.

Влияние микрокапсулированных стартовых культур на образование биологически активных пептидов в готовых мясных продуктах

Of particular importance in the production of fermented meat products are starter cultures with a proteolytic system that promotes the proteolysis of the protein components of meat raw materials. Numerous compounds, which may have biological activity, were formed as a result of the proteolysis, for example, biologically active peptides or bacteriocins. Nevertheless, there are some technological difficulties in the use of bacteria that contribute to the formation of biologically active peptides in raw meat. The solution to this problem can be microencapsulation. In this study, industrially valuable strains of starter cultures were selected, and proteolytic activity genes were identified. Thus, the proteolytic genes of the PRTB10/PRTB20 and P15C/P06C families were found in the P. acidilactici 38 and P. pentosaceus 28 strains, while the genes of the Jp23/Jp25 and prti2/IP6Xba families were found in the L. acidophilus AT-45 strain. The prti2/IP6Xba genes were also found in the S. carnosus 111-2 strain. A technology is proposed for incorporating microorganisms into alginate capsules with an alginate gel concentration of 5%, which makes it possible to form strong capsules capable of maintaining the viability of starter cultures in the production of boiled sausage: when incubating heat-treated capsules to 72 °С on chalk agar, the survival rate of microorganisms from 30 to 90% was recorded. The protein profile of the samples of boiled sausages produced using microencapsulated starter cultures was studied. A significant interaction of some strains with proteins of the actomyosin complex was shown, and the enzymes of energy metabolism from muscle tissue were subjected to destructive changes - muscle creatine phosphate kinase, enolase, and adenylate kinase 1. The paper contains 4 Figures, 4 Tables, and 27 References. The Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Effect of red wine in dry fermented sausages produced with a starter culture for improving their quality and safety

The use of strategies aimed at the improvement of the quality and safety of dry fermented meat products through a scientific re-assessment of some original ingredients in their formulations, one of them being wine, is an approach strongly supported by consumers. The aim of the present study was to determine and evaluate the effect of red wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon variety in combination with a starter culture including Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus carnosus ssp. on the quality characteristics of a dry sausage. The experiments were made using three groups of samples formulated with 25 mL and 50 mL of wine per kg of meat. The effect of the wine addition on the physicochemical and microbiological changes and the texture and sensory properties of the finished product was investigated. A trend to a faster decrease in the aw and residual nitrite values was observed in the wine-containing samples. The highest hardness values were recorded through texture profile analysis in the wine-free samples, and the lowest values in samples with 50 ml of wine per kg of meat. The increase in the wine quantity from 25 to 50 mL led to lower sensory scores given to colour compared to the control sample.

Determination of Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Enterococcus Species Isolated From Fermented Meat Products CConsumed in Ankara

The aim of this study was to determine the multiple antibiotic resistance profiles of Enterococcus spp. isolated from the fermented meat products consumed in Ankara, Turkey. A total of 134 Enterococcus spp. were isolated and identified from 80 fermented meat samples. The highest prevalence of enterococci in the fermented food samples was found in sucuk (a Turkish fermented sausage) samples (50%), followed by sausage (25.4%), pastirma (a Turkish dry-cured meat product) (18.6%), and salami, respectively. Of a total of 134 Enterococcus isolates, 110 (82.1%) were found to be resistant to one or more of the antibiotics tested. Although the highest resistance rate was seen against rifampicin (73.2%), streptomycin (36.5%) and erythromycin (20.2%), 28 (20.9%) of Enterococcus isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics. The presence of multiple antibiotic resistant Enterococcus in foods of animal origin raises alarm because of the risk of carrying these bacteria to humans via the food chain.

Effect of Mixed Starters on Proteolysis and Formation of Biogenic Amines in Dry Fermented Mutton Sausages.

In this study, by comparing the four groups of sausages, namely, CO (without starter culture), LB (with Lactobacillus sakei), LS (with L. sakei 3X-2B + Staphylococcus xylosus SZ-8), and LSS (with L. sakei 3X-2B + S. xylosus SZ-8 + S. carnosus SZ-2), the effects of mixed starter cultures on physical–chemical quality, proteolysis, and biogenic amines (BAs) during fermentation and ripening were investigated. Inoculation of the mixed starter cultures increased the number of lactic acid bacteria and staphylococci in sausages during fermentation and ripening for 0 to 5 days. The L. sakei 3X-2B + S. xylosus SZ-8 + S. carnosus SZ-2 mixed starter accelerated the rate of acid production and water activity reduction of sausages and improved the redness value. Compared with CO, the mixed starter effectively inhibited Enterobacteriaceae. At the end of ripening, the LSS group was approximately 1.25 CFU/g, which was less than the CO group, thereby reducing the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) in the LSS group. The free amino acids in the LS and LSS groups (224.97 and 235.53 mg/kg dry sausage, respectively) were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that in the CO group (170.93 mg/kg dry sausage). The level of histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, and common BAs showed an opposite trend to the increase of the corresponding precursor amino acid content, which were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the LS and LSS sausages than in CO. This study showed that L. sakei 3X-2B + S. xylosus SZ-8 + S. carnosus SZ-2 is a potential mixed starter for fermented meat products.

Genomic and Phylogenetic Analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L125, and Evaluation of Its Anti-Proliferative and Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cells.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a diverse species that includes nomadic strains isolated from a variety of environmental niches. Several L. plantarum strains are being incorporated in fermented foodstuffs as starter cultures, while some of them have also been characterized as probiotics. In this study, we present the draft genome sequence of L. plantarum L125, a potential probiotic strain presenting biotechnological interest, originally isolated from a traditional fermented meat product. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analysis with other potential probiotic L. plantarum strains were performed to determine its evolutionary relationships. Furthermore, we located genes involved in the probiotic phenotype by whole genome annotation. Indeed, genes coding for proteins mediating host–microbe interactions and bile salt, heat and cold stress tolerance were identified. Concerning the potential health-promoting attributes of the novel strain, we determined that L. plantarum L125 carries an incomplete plantaricin gene cluster, in agreement with previous in vitro findings, where no bacteriocin-like activity was detected. Moreover, we showed that cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) of L. plantarum L125 exerts anti-proliferative, anti-clonogenic and anti-migration activity against the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, HT-29. Conclusively, L. plantarum L125 presents desirable probiotic traits. Future studies will elucidate further its biological and health-related properties.

Effects of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LOCK900 on Development of Volatile Compounds and Sensory Quality of Dry Fermented Sausages.

Traditional dry fermented meat products are highly appreciated by consumers. A probiotic starter culture increases their attractiveness through sensory qualities and a potential health-promoting effect. The ability to scale the laboratory solution to industrial conditions is an additional scientific and practical value of a new way of using probiotics in the meat industry. The aim was to evaluate the influence of the probiotic starter culture Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LOCK900 on the development of volatile organic compounds and the sensory quality of dry fermented pork sausages during fermentation and refrigeration storage. The microbiological and sensory characteristic (QDA method) and volatile compound (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry: GC–MS) were evaluated. The number of LOCK900 cells during 12 weeks of storage remained above 6 log CFU g−1, making this product a functional food. The addition of probiotic LOCK900 increased the levels of acidic volatile compounds, aldehydes, and esters, which, combined with the additives and spices used, had a positive effect on the sensory properties of ripening sausages. The sausages with LOCK900 were characterised by positive sensory features, and their overall quality remained high during storage and did not differ from that of the control sausages.

Correlation Between Microbial Diversity and Volatile Flavor Compounds of Suan zuo rou, a Fermented Meat Product From Guizhou, China.

Suan zuo rou (SZR), a traditional fermented meat from Guizhou province, China, is loved by local people for its unique flavor and nutritional value. However, the microbial communities and related flavor characteristics of SZR from different regions of Guizhou are unclear. We studied the correlation between the microbial communities and the physicochemical properties and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) of 15 SZR samples from three regions in Guizhou province. The microbial community structure of SZR was determined by high-throughput sequencing and VFCs were identified by headspace-solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicated that the microbial communities of SZR varied among the regions, as evidenced by the relative abundance of Weissella, Staphylococcus, Brochothrix, Kazachstania, and Debaryomces. There were also significant differences in pH, water activity, NaCl, and total volatile basic nitrogen (P < 0.05). Based on orthogonal projections to latent structures and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, we showed that Wickerhamomyces, Kazachstania, Lactobacillus, Weissella, Brochothrix, Debaryomyces, Staphylococcus, Pediococcus, Pichia, Candida, and Leuconostoc were highly correlated with 48 VFCs (| ρ| > 0.8, P < 0.05). Redundancy analysis showed that most of the dominant bacteria were positively related to water activity, whereas Lactobacillus was positively related with pH, and negatively related with total volatile basic nitrogen.

Genomic and Phenotypic Evaluation of Potential Probiotic Pediococcus Strains with Hypocholesterolemic Effect Isolated from Traditional Fermented Food.

The use of probiotic microorganisms in food with the aim to confer health benefits to the host is one of the most critical roles of functional foods. Many pediococci bacteria frequently related to the meat environment, have technological properties, and are therefore commercially used as starter in the production of fermented meat products, such as different types of sausages. In this study, different lactic acid bacteria were isolated, identified to the species level, and then evaluated for their safety and functionality as possible probiotics. Different properties, such as resistance to simulated human gastrointestinal conditions, antimicrobial activity, and cholesterol-lowering effects, have been studied. Finally, the complete genome of one strain, namely P. acidilactici IRZ12B, which showed interesting features as a promising probiotic candidate, was sequenced and further studied. The results revealed that IRZ12B possesses interesting probiotic properties, particularly cholesterol-lowering capability and antimicrobial activity. In silico analysis evidenced the absence of plasmids, transmissible antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors. We also detected a bacteriocin encoding gene and a cholesterol assimilation-related protein. The phenotypical and genomic outcomes described in this study make P. acidilactici IRZ12B a very interesting cholesterol-lowering potential probiotic strain to be considered for the development of novel non-dairy-based functional foods.