Traditional Fermented Alcoholic Beverages Research Articles

A single dietary factor, daily consumption of a fermented beverage, can modulate the gut bacteria and fecal metabolites within the same ethnic community.

Our study investigated how a traditional drink called Apong, made from fermented rice, affects the gut and health of the Mishing community in India. We compared two groups of people who drink Apong to a group of people who do not drink it. To accomplish this, we studied the gut bacteria, fecal metabolites, and blood samples of the participants. It was found that the people who drank Apong had higher blood pressure but lower blood sugar and protein levels than people who did not drink it. We also found that the gut microbiome composition of people who drank Apong was different from those who did not drink it. Moreover, people who drank Apong had lower levels of isovaleric acid in their feces. Overall, this study shows that a traditional drink like Apong can affect the gut bacteria of a community.

Insights into microbial communities and metabolic profiles in the traditional production of the two representative Hongqu rice wines fermented with Gutian Qu and Wuyi Qu based on single-molecule real-time sequencing

Hongqu rice wine, a famous traditional fermented alcoholic beverage, is brewed with traditional Hongqu (mainly including Gutian Qu and Wuyi Qu). This study aimed to compare the microbial communities and metabolic profiles in the traditional brewing of Hongqu rice wines fermented with Gutian Qu and Wuyi Qu. Compared with Hongqu rice wine fermented with Wuyi Qu (WY), Hongqu rice wine fermented with Gutian Qu (GT) exhibited higher levels of biogenic amines. The composition of volatile flavor components of Hongqu rice wine brewed by different fermentation starters (Gutian Qu and Wuyi Qu) was obviously different. Among them, ethyl acetate, isobutanol, 3-methylbutan-1-ol, ethyl decanoate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, nonanoic acid, 4-ethylguaiacol, 5-pentyldihydro-2(3H)-furanone, ethyl acetate, n-decanoic acid etc. were identified as the characteristic aroma-active compounds between GT and WY. Microbiome analysis based on high-throughput sequencing of full-length 16S rDNA/ITS-5.8S rDNA amplicons revealed that Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Enterobacter, Weissella, Saccharomyces, Monascus and Candida were the predominant microbial genera during the traditional production of GT, while Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Enterobacter, Kozakia, Weissella, Klebsiella, Cronobacter, Saccharomyces, Millerozyma, Monascus, Talaromyces and Meyerozyma were the predominant microbial genera in the traditional fermentation of WY. Correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus showed significant positive correlations with most of the characteristic volatile flavor components and biogenic amines. Furthermore, bioinformatical analysis based on PICRUSt revealed that microbial enzymes related to biogenic amines synthesis were more abundant in GT than those in WY, and the enzymes responsible for the degradation of biogenic amines were less abundant in GT than those in WY. Collectively, this study provides important scientific data for enhancing the flavor quality of Hongqu rice wine, and lays a solid foundation for the healthy and sustainable development of Hongqu rice wine industry.

Enhancement of the Functional Properties of Mead Aged with Oak (Quercus) Chips at Different Toasting Levels.

Consumers increasingly prefer and seek functional beverages, which, given their characteristics, provide important bioactive compounds that help prevent and treat chronic diseases. Mead is a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage made from honey solution. The aging process of mead with oak chips is innovative and bestows functional characteristics to this beverage. Thus, in this study, we sought to develop and characterize a novel functional beverage by combining the health benefits of honey with the traditional aging process of alcoholic beverages in wood. Phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity were analyzed in mead using oak chips at different toasting levels and aged for 360 days. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS was used to analyze the chemical profile of different meads. Over time, the aging process with oak chips showed a higher total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity. Eighteen compounds belonging to the classes of organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins were identified in meads after 360 days. Our findings revealed that the addition of oak chips during aging contributed to p-coumaric, ellagic, abscisic, and chlorogenic acids, and naringenin, vanillin, and tiliroside significantly impacted the functional quality of mead.

Comprehensive Substrate-Based Exploration of Probiotics From Undistilled Traditional Fermented Alcoholic Beverage 'Lugri'.

Cereal-based traditional fermented beverages (TFBs) are prevalent among India’s ethnic community, and lugri is one such TFB popular among the tribal people of the Lahaul valley in North-Western Himalaya. Previous studies have reported that lugri harbors probiotics and contains amino acids and vitamins but comprehensive substrate-specific exploration of lugri for probiotic attributes is unexplored. The present study selected three substrate-based lugri (wheat, rice, and barley) to study their biochemical properties and explore potential probiotics. This study screened the best probiotic strains for antioxidant studies and the fermentative process. A biochemical analysis determined that rice-based lugri had a higher alcohol content, electric conductivity, crude protein, and lower pH than barley and wheat-based lugri. A total of 134 distinct morphotypes were screened, and 43 strains were selected based on their qualitatively superior acid and bile tolerance. Rice-based undistilled lugri harbored the most probiotics, with 22 out of 43 strains isolated. All 43 bacterial isolates exhibited properties like cell surface hydrophobicity, cell-auto aggregation, β-galactosidase, and exopolysaccharide production, supporting them as possible probiotics. Based on antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic activity, and biofilm formation, all the bacterial strains were found to be non-pathogenic. Taxonomically, they ranged among eight distinct genera and 10 different species. Statistically, 12 isolates were found to be the most promising probiotic, and eight strains were isolated from rice-based undistilled lugri. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the promising isolates was tested, based on free-radical scavenging ability toward 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (4.39–16.41%) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (15.29–57.74%). The strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei LUL:01 showed the best antioxidant activity and probiotic attributes, and hence was used for the production of fermented milk. The strain LUL:01 fermented the sterile milk within 18 h, and the viable count remained above the legal requirement of 6 log10 CFU/ml during 28 days storage at 4°C. The strain represents a suitable candidate for applying probiotic functional food formulation with several health benefits.

Optimization of ethanol production using newly isolated ethanologenic yeasts

Yeasts are important microorganisms used for ethanol production; however, they are not equally efficient in the amount of ethanol production under different environmental conditions. It is, therefore, necessary to screen for elite strains to utilize them for commercial production of these commodities. In this study, yeasts were isolated from different Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages (teji, tella, shamiata and areqe tinisis), milk and ergo, teff and maize dough, soil and compost, flowers, and fruits to evaluate their potential use for ethanol fermentation process. Isolates were screened for efficient ethanol production and the selected ones were identified using phenotypic and genetic characters using D1/D2 region of LSU rDNA sequence analysis. The yeast isolates were evaluated based on their growth and fermentation of different carbon sources. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize temperature, pH and incubation time using central composite design (CCD) in Design-Expert 7.0.0. A total of 211 yeasts colonies were isolated of which 60% were ethanologenic yeasts (ethanol producers) and 40% were non-ethanol producers. The yeast population detected from various sources was in the range of 105CFU from traditional foods and beverages to that of 103CFU from fruits and soil samples. The data also showed that the number of colony types (diversity) did not correlate with population density. The highly fermentative isolates were taxonomically characterized into four genera, of which 65% of the isolates (ETP37, ETP50; ETP53, ETP89, ETP94) were categorized under Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the remaining were Pichia fermentans ETP22, Kluyveromyces marxianus ETP87, and Candida humilis ETP122. The S. cerevisiae isolates produced ethanol (7.6-9.0 g/L) similar with K. marxianus ETP87 producing 7.97 g/L; comparable to the ethanol produced from commercial baker's yeast (8.43 g/L) from 20 g/L dextrose; whereas C. humilis ETP122 and P. fermentans ETP22 produced 5.37 g/L and 6.43 g/L ethanol, respectively. S. cerevisiae ETP53, K. marxianus ETP87, P. fermentans ETP22 and C. humilis ETP122 tolerated 10% extraneous ethanol but the percentage of ethanol tolerance considerably decreased upon 15%. S. cerevisiae ETP53 produced ethanol optimally at pH 5.0, 60 h, and 34oC. pH 4.8, temperature 36oC, and 65 h of time were optimal growth conditions of ethanol fermentation by K. marxianus ETP87. The ethanol fermentation conditions of P. fermentans ETP22 was similar to S. cerevisiae ETP53 though the ethanol titer of S. cerevisiae ETP53 was higher than P. fermentans ETP22. Therefore, S. cerevisiae ETP53, K. marxianus and P. fermentans ETP22 are good candidates for ethanol production.

Regulatory effect of volatile compounds in fermented alcoholic beverages on gut microbiota and serum metabolism in a mouse model.

Ethanol (EtOH) is the main risk factor for alcoholic liver disease. However, fermented alcoholic beverages contain not only ethanol but also various volatile compounds. Currently, the effects of volatile compounds in ethanol-containing fermented beverages on gut microbiota and host metabolism are largely unclear. To fill this gap, we constructed an 8-week mice model using three types of Baijiu (a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage), sterile water and ethanol as controls. Results revealed that three types of Baijiu contain various volatiles, mainly belonging to esters, alcohols, and acids. All of Baijiu caused the lower levels of liver injury in mice than EtOH (at the same EtOH concentration) by phenotypic, biochemical and pathological analysis. We observed that Baijiu volatiles affect the gut microbiota structure and serum metabolomic patterns of mice. Compared with EtOH, Baijiu feeding profoundly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (the highest relative abundance in the Baijiu-fed group was 11.16 ± 1.52%, and in the EtOH-fed group it was 1.80 ± 0.66%). Esters, acids and phenols in volatiles showed strong positive correlations (P < 0.01, R > 0.6) with Lactobacillus. Moreover, Baijiu feeding significantly (P < 0.05) enriched serum metabolites related to bioenergy (i.e., D-glucose, the highest fold change was 1.16) and anti-inflammatory activity (i.e., arachidonic acid, the highest fold change was 1.43) as compared to EtOH. Finally, the microbial and metabolic function analysis showed that volatiles will enhance the citrate cycle and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid pathways. Overall, these data demonstrated the potential of volatile compounds for attenuating the progress of alcoholic liver disease by regulating the gut microbiota and host metabolism.

Cereal- and Fruit-Based Ethiopian Traditional Fermented Alcoholic Beverages.

Traditional fermented alcoholic beverages are drinks produced locally using indigenous knowledge, and consumed near the vicinity of production. In Ethiopia, preparation and consumption of cereal- and fruit-based traditional fermented alcoholic beverages is very common. Tella, Borde, Shamita, Korefe, Cheka, Tej, Ogol, Booka, and Keribo are among the popular alcoholic beverages in the country. These beverages have equal market share with commercially produced alcoholic beverages. Fermentation of Ethiopian alcoholic beverages is spontaneous, natural and uncontrolled. Consequently, achieving consistent quality in the final product is the major challenge. Yeasts and lactic acid bacteria are the predominate microorganisms encountered during the fermentation of these traditional alcoholic beverages. In this paper, we undertake a review in order to elucidate the physicochemical properties, indigenous processing methods, nutritional values, functional properties, fermenting microorganisms and fermentation microbial dynamics of Ethiopian traditional alcoholic beverages. Further research will be needed in order to move these traditional beverages into large-scale production.

High-throughput Sequencing-based Analysis of Microbial Diversity in Rice Wine Koji from Different Areas.

Rice wine, a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage in China, is produced with grains such as rice, which are fermented with saccharifying starter-koji. Its flavor quality is closely associated to the starter culture-koji, which is made by mixing botanical materials with high-class glutinous rice in certain ecological context. However, there are few reports on the microbial community structure of rice wine koji. In this paper, bacterial community structures of rice wine koji were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing based on Illumina MiSeq high-throughput technology in 20 samples collected from Xiaogan area, Hubei province and Dazhu area, Sichuan province (10 from each area). We found rice wine koji flora mainly consisted of Weissella, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Cronobacter, with relative abundances of 29.49%, 10.93%, 8.85%, 4.75%, 1.16% and 1.15%, respectively, as well as an accumulative average relative abundance of 58.71%. They all belonged to Firmicutes and Proteobacteria-the two known dominant genus. Genus-level PCA (Principal component analysis) and OTU-level PCoA (Principal coordinates analysis) based on unweighted UniFrac distances showed that the bacterial community structure differed significantly between the samples from the 2 areas. 7 OTUs were detected in all samples, accounting for 4.4% of the total qualified assembly. Among the 7 OTUs, 3 OTUs were identified as Enterococcus, 2 OTUs were identified as Cronobacter, 1 OTU was identified as Bacillus and 1 OTU was identified as Alkaliphilus. Fifty-eight lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from the 20 koji samples with traditional microbial methods. Among them, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus pentosaceus were the dominant LAB isolates, with relative abundances of 51.72% and 31.03%. Despite the differences, a large number of shared bacteria were detected in samples from the two areas.

Real-Time Detection of Riboflavin Production by Lactobacillus plantarum Strains and Tracking of Their Gastrointestinal Survival and Functionality in vitro and in vivo Using mCherry Labeling.

Some strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce riboflavin, a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex, essential for human beings. Here, we have evaluated riboflavin (B2 vitamin) production by five Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from chicha, a traditional maize-based fermented alcoholic beverage from north-western Argentina and their isogenic riboflavin-overproducing derivatives previously selected using roseoflavin. A direct fluorescence spectroscopic detection method to quantify riboflavin production in bacterial culture supernatants has been tested. Comparison of the efficiency for riboflavin fluorescence quantification with and without prior HPLC fractionation showed that the developed method is a rapid and easy test for selection of B2 vitamin-producing strains. In addition, it can be used for quantitative detection of the vitamin production in real time during bacterial growth. On the basis of this and previous analyses, the L. plantarum M5MA1-B2 riboflavin overproducer was selected for in vitro and in vivo studies after being fluorescently labeled by transfer of the pRCR12 plasmid, which encodes the mCherry protein. The labeling did not affect negatively the growth, the riboflavin production nor the adhesion of the strain to Caco-2 cells. Thus, L. plantarum M5MA1-B2[pRCR12] was evaluated for its survival under digestive tract stresses in the presence of microbiota in the dynamic multistage BFBL gut model and in a murine model. After exposure to both models, M5MA1-B2[pRCR12] could be recovered and detected by the pink color of the colonies. The results indicated a satisfactory resistance of the strain to gastric and intestinal stress conditions but a low colonization capability observed both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, L. plantarum M5MA1-B2 could be proposed as a probiotic strain for the development of functional foods.

Improvement in Analytical Methods for Determination of Sugars in Fermented Alcoholic Beverages.

The main objective of this study was to improve the performance of analytical methods for the determination of sugars in fermented alcoholic beverages based on mid-infrared-partial least squares (MIR-PLS), high-performance liquid chromatography with the ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV), high-performance liquid chromatography with the refractive index detector (HPLC-RI), and sulfuric acid methods. The MIR-PLS method was found to give good prediction of individual sugars: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose in the alcoholic beverages with less than 4% error. The HPLC-UV method can be used for the determination of glucose in alcoholic beverages after derivatization with p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester. The HPLC-RI method was found to be applicable for the determination of individual sugars: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose in the alcoholic beverages. The limit of detection (%, w/w) and recovery (%) of the individual sugars by the HPLC-RI method were fructose 0.001, 89.4–106; glucose 0.002, 92.4–109; and sucrose 0.002, 94.2–95.1. The sulfuric acid method was found to be useful for the determination of total sugar in the alcoholic beverages. The limit of detection (%, w/w) and recovery (%) of the total sugar by the sulfuric acid method were found to be 0.009, 98.2–109. The HPLC-RI method was applied to determine the level of individual sugars, while the sulfuric acid method was used to determine total sugar in Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages: Tella, Netch Tella, Filter Tella, Borde, Tej, Korefe, Keribo, and Birz. The sugar contents in the real samples were found in the ranges (%): glucose 0.07–5.60, fructose 0.09–8.50, sucrose and maltose 0.08–3.00, and total sugar 12.0–64.5. The levels of sugars in Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages were found to be comparable with literature data.

The Microbial Profile and Contaminants of Bubugn, An Ethiopian House Hould Fermented Beverage

Bubugn is a cereal based traditional fermented Ethiopian low alcoholic beverage. It is one of the traditional fermented beverages used for a drink of holidays, wedding ceremony and also used as a source of income. The aims of this study were to determine the microbiology, microbial contaminants and physicochemical characteristics of Bubugn. Nine Samples of Bubugn were collected from Gondar town in three district areas; Azezo (A), Arada (B) and Kebele 18 (C). Microbial counts and physicochemical analysis were enumerated using standard microbiological methods. The mean value of the pH of the samples was 4.20 + 0.14; and the mean value of moisture content was 45. 79 +1.35. The mean crude fat, ash and ethanol contents of Bubugn were 6.67 + 0.16, 4.47+ 0.40 and 1.79 + 0.13, respectively. The mean number of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts and molds and lactic acid bacteria of Bubugn were 3.74×105 cfu/ml, 5.68 ×106 cfu/ml and 7.52×105 cfu/ml respectively. Bubugn samples were contaminated by Shigella species, E. coli and S. aureus which could be due to poor hygienic conditions related to washing of preparation material, use of contaminated water and poor personal and domestic hygiene. The collected Bubugn samples were contaminated by different microorganisms and therefore, there should be the development of an advanced technique to improve quality.

Assessment of essential and non-essential metals in Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages

Evaluation of the levels of essential and non-essential metal concentrations in Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages (Tella, Tej, Birz, Korefe, Keribo and Borde) was conducted using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) after HNO3/H2O2 digestion process. A total of 10 bulk samples were collected randomly from vending houses at five different sub-cities of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia (Lideta-Kolfe, Bole-Kirkose, Yeka-Gullele, Arada-Addis Ketema and Akaki-Kaliti-Lafto) and from five nearby towns (Sebeta, Dukem, Sululta, Sendafa, and Burayu) of Oromia Regional State. The considered metals include: Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Co and Mn to ascertain their levels. With 88–96% recovery Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Mn were detected at varying concentrations in the beverages, while Co, Ni and Cr were below detection limits. All the beverages were rich in Ca, Mg and Zn. Among the trace metals found Zn was the first. The levels of the trace metals were generally low, and within statutory safe limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). Mineral concentrations were found to be significantly different among the beverages studied (p &lt; 0.05). The levels of metals in the Ethiopian fermented beverages were found comparable with the reported ones. KEY WORDS: Ethiopian beverages, Traditional beverages, Fermented beverages, Essential elements, Non-essential elements Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2017, 31(1), 17-30.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v31i1.2

Non-destructive determination of ethanol levels in fermented alcoholic beverages using Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy

BackgroundTraditional fermented alcoholic beverages are indigenous to a particular area and are prepared by the local people using an age-old techniques and locally available raw materials. The main objective of this work was the direct determination of ethanol in traditional fermented alcoholic beverages using mid infrared spectroscopy with partial least squares regression, verifying the robustness of the calibration models and to assess the quality of beverages.ResultsThe level of ethanol determination in Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages was done using mid infrared spectroscopy with partial least squares regression (MIR-PLS). The calibration and validation sets, and real samples spectra were collected with 32 scans from 850–1200 cm−1. A total of 25 synthetic standards (calibration and validation sets) with ethanol (2–10% w/w) and sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose) (0–5% w/w) compositions were used to construct and validate the models. Twenty-five different calibration models were validated by cross-validation approach with 25 left out standards. A large number of pre-treatments were verified, but the best pre-treatment was subtracting minimum + 2nd derivative. The model was found to have the highest coefficients of determination for calibration and cross-validation (0.999, 0.999) and root mean square error of prediction [0.1% (w/w)]. For practical relevance, the MIR-PLS predicted values were compared against the values determined by gas chromatography. The predicted values of the model were found to be in excellent agreement with gas chromatographic measurements. In addition, recovery test was conducted with spiking 2.4–6.4% (w/w) ethanol. Based on the obtained recovery percentage, 85.4–107% (w/w), the matrix effects of the samples were not considerable.ConclusionThe proposed technique, MIR-PLS at 1200–850 cm−1 spectral region was found appropriate to quantify ethanol in fermented alcoholic beverages. Among the studied beverages (Tella, Netch Tella, Filter Tella, Korefe, Keribo, Borde and Birz), the average ethanol contents ranged from 0.77–9.1% (v/v). Tej was found to have the highest ethanol content whereas Keribo had the least ethanol content. The developed method was simple, fast, precise and accurate. Moreover, no sample preparation was required at all. However, it should be noted that the present procedure is probably not usable for regulatory purposes (e.g. controlling labelling).

Whole genome sequence of lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1.

Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1, a lactic acid-fermenting bacterium, was isolated from makgeolli—a Korean traditional fermented alcoholic beverage. Here we report the 1,980,172 bp (G + C content, 42%) genome sequence of Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1 with 1,525 protein-coding sequences (CDS), of which 47% could be assigned to recognized functional genes. The genome sequence of the strain S1 might provide insights into the genetic basis of the lactic acid bacterium with alcohol-tolerant.

Ethanol, methanol, acid content and other quality parameters of Ethiopian traditional fermented, distilled and factory-produced alcoholic beverages

Five brands of Ethiopian traditional fermented alcoholic beverages, ten brands of traditional distilled alcoholic beverages and five brands of factory produced alcoholic beverages were collected from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the measurement of their ethanol, methanol, solid, salinity contents, acidity, pH and electrical conductivity. The overall average values of pH, ethanol% (v/v), acidic content (g/L), solid content (mg/L), conductivity (μS/cm) and salinity (%) in all brands of the beverages studied were found in the range of 4.6-7.5, 2.80-51.2, 0.02-105, 0.00-20328, 5.87-8391 and 0.1-4.6, respectively. The methanol contents of the beverages were determined using gc-ms. The results showed that the level of methanol in some brands of the studied traditional distilled and factory produced alcoholic beverages were found in the range between 0.867-0.979% (v/v). However, methanol was not found in all of the analyzed traditional fermented beverages. Therefore, the studied traditional fermented beverages do not pose any health threat to the human health due to methanol. However, the normal alcohol health risk associated with high consumption of beverages remains a problem.

Innovation Chinese rice wine brewing technology by bi-acidification to exclude rice soaking process

As a traditional fermented alcoholic beverage of China, Chinese rice wine (CRW) had a long history of more than 5000 years. Rice soaking process was the most crucial step during CRW brewing process, because rice soaking quality directly determined the quality of CRW. However, rice soaking water would cause the eutrophication of water bodies and waste of water. The longer time of rice soaking, the higher the content of biogenic amine, and it would have a huge impact on human health. An innovation brewing technology was carried out to exclude the rice soaking process and the Lactobacillus was added to make up for the total acid. Compared to the traditional brewing technology, the new technology saved water resources and reduced environmental pollution. The concentration of biogenic amine was also decreased by 27.16%, which improving the security of the CRW. The esters increased led to more soft-tasted CRW and less aging time; the quality of CRW would be improved with less alcohol.

Ethyl carbamate in alcoholic beverages from China: Levels, dietary intake, and risk assessment

A national survey of ethyl carbamate (EC) in alcoholic beverages from the fourth and fifth Chinese total diet study (TDS) performed in 2007 and 2009 was conducted for the first time. Alcoholic beverages samples were collected from 16 provinces representing the average dietary patterns of various provinces of China and covering about 60% of the total Chinese population. The results showed that the average EC level in alcoholic beverages (19.8 μg/kg) in the fifth TDS was higher than that of the fourth TDS (8.5 μg/kg). The dietary intake of EC from the Chinese population was estimated to be 8.27 ng/kg bw per day for average population and 45.67 ng/kg bw per day for high consumers (the 97.5th percentile) in the fifth TDS. The average and high-end estimated daily intakes of EC for the alcoholic beverages were both lower than estimated daily intake (EDI) value (80 ng/kg bw per day) suggested by JECFA, indicating low health risk of EC dietary exposure among Chinese adults at present.The Chinese rice wines, as a kind of traditional fermented alcoholic beverages in China, has a high level of EC and an obvious consumption regional disparity, thus the health risk of EC in Chinese rice wines should be of concern. To estimate the daily intake of EC from Chinese rice wines consumed in China, 890 Chinese rice wines samples including 468 commercial wines and 422 base wines were collected from various regions. The distribution of EC varied significantly among 468 commercial wines, ranging from 6.3 to 775.8 μg/L (mean: 232.9 μg/L). Based on the intake data for Chinese rice wines from the food consumption survey, the daily intake of EC was estimated to be 290.6 ng/kg bw per day for average consumers and 1848.4 ng/kg bw per day for high consumers (the 97.5th percentile). In this study, the estimated daily intake of EC for Chinese rice wines in China was far higher than EDI value suggested by JECFA indicating that Chinese rice wines were the main exposure origin of EC in alcoholic beverages. Health risk assessment of EC using a margin of exposure (MOE) approach recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) suggested unlikely health concern with respect to current dietary intake of EC for alcoholic beverages in China. However, a relatively high health risk of EC dietary exposure in Chinese rice wines was observed in some provinces. Therefore, some adapted strategies should be developed and used in industrial scale to control the level of EC for Chinese rice wines.

Quantification of bioactive constituents and antioxidant activity of Chinese yellow wine

Rice wines have been consumed in China for more than 9000 years. Chinese yellow wine (CYW) is one of the traditional fermented alcoholic beverages of rice. Studies have shown that CYW improves atherosclerotic plaque in LDL-receptor-knockout mice. Rice wine consumption at a level of alcohol >12.8g/day in Chinese women has been associated with a 34% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome compared to non-drinkers. However, evidence for the health benefits of CYW is still very limited. In the present study, phenolic compounds, amino acids, γ-aminobutyric acid and hydroxymethylfurfural in 5-year-old Guyuelongshan CYW were characterized and quantitated as a first step in launching the studies of potential health benefits of CYW. Our results show that three of the nine phenolic compounds characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS were not previously documented in the CYW. Fifteen free amino acids and γ-aminobutyric acid quantitated by the HPLC-fluorescence method and the protein assay demonstrate that CYW is a good source of amino acids (2923μg/mL), γ-aminobutyric acid (10.1±0.3μg/mL) and peptides/proteins (4210±430μg/mL). The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of CYW (1.76±0.07mM) is higher than white wines but lower than red wines.

Microorganisms associated with amylolytic starters and traditional fermented alcoholic beverages of North Western Himalayas in India

Abstract Traditional alcoholic brewing is generally a home-based industry mostly practiced by the ethnic people of Himalayas. Chhang, jau chhang and sura are the three most popular cereal based traditional fermented alcoholic beverages prepared and consumed by tribal and rural folks of Himachal Pradesh (North West Himalayas) using traditional inocula ‘ phab ’ and ‘ dheli’ . The numbers of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were in range of 1.7×10 4 CFU/g in chhang, 2.9×10 4 CFU/g in jau chhang, and 1.9×10 7 CFU/g in sura . LAB isolates were strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium and Pediococcus pentosaceus based on comparison of the sequence of 16S rRNA genes. Yeasts were identified from all the three beverage samples with cell number ranging from 3.5×10 4 CFU/g for chhang , 1×10 5 CFU/g for jau chhang and 5.5×10 5 CFU/g for sura . Sequencing of D1/D2 26S rDNA regions identified the yeasts as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces fibuligera, Pichia kudriavzevii and Candida tropicalis .

Pyrosequencing vs. culture-dependent approaches to analyze lactic acid bacteria associated to chicha, a traditional maize-based fermented beverage from Northwestern Argentina

The diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with chicha, a traditional maize-based fermented alcoholic beverage from Northwestern Argentina, was analyzed using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Samples corresponding to 10 production steps were obtained from two local producers at Maimará (chicha M) and Tumbaya (chicha T). Whereas by culture-dependent approach a few number of species (Lactobacillus plantarum and Weissella viridescens in chicha M, and Enterococcus faecium and Leuconostoc mesenteroides in chicha T) were identified, a higher quantitative distribution of taxa was found in both beverages by pyrosequencing. The relative abundance of OTUs was higher in chicha M than in chicha T; six LAB genera were common for chicha M and T: Enterococcus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Weissella, Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus while Pediococcus only was detected in chicha M. Among the 46 identified LAB species, those of Lactobacillus were dominant in both chicha samples, exhibiting the highest diversity, whereas Enterococcus and Leuconostoc were recorded as the second dominant genera in chicha T and M, respectively. Identification at species level showed the predominance of Lb. plantarum, Lactobacillus rossiae, Leuconostoc lactis and W. viridescens in chicha M while Enterococcus hirae, E. faecium, Lc. mesenteroides and Weissella confusa predominated in chicha T samples. In parallel, when presumptive LAB isolates (chicha M: 146; chicha T: 246) recovered from the same samples were identified by ISR-PCR and RAPD-PCR profiles, species-specific PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, most of them were assigned to the Leuconostoc genus (Lc. mesenteroides and Lc. lactis) in chicha M, Lactobacillus, Weissella and Enterococcus being also present. In contrast, chicha T exhibited the presence of Enterococcus and Leuconostoc, E. faecium being the most representative species. Massive sequencing approach was applied for the first time to study the diversity and evolution of microbial communities during chicha manufacture. Although differences in the LAB species profile between the two geographically different chicha productions were observed by culturing, a larger number for predominant LAB species as well as other minorities were revealed by pyrosequencing. The fine molecular inventory achieved by pyrosequencing provided more precise information on LAB population composition than culture-dependent analysis processes.