Enhanced Antioxidant Activity for Apple Juice Fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC14917

Enhancement of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Mustard Kimchi on RAW 264.7 Macrophages by the Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation-Mediated Generation of Phenolic Compound Derivatives

Mustard leaf kimchi contains numerous functional compounds that have various health benefits. However, the underlying mechanisms of their anti-inflammatory effects are unclear. In this study, changes in the mustard leaf kimchi phenolics profile after fermentation with or without Lactobacillus plantarum were determined using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). To correlate changes in phenolic profiles with anti-inflammatory activities of the fermentation extracts, lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were treated with the extracts. We identified 12 phenolic acids in mustard leaf kimchi fermented with L. plantarum. Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, and catechin substituted the metabolite abundance. Extracts of mustard leaf kimchi fermented by L. plantarum (MLKL) markedly inhibited nitric oxide production by decreasing interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) expression levels in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Thus, fermentation with L. plantarum potentially improves the anti-inflammatory activities of mustard leaf and mustard leaf fermented with this microorganism may serve as a proper diet for the treatment of inflammation.

Assessment of Pomegranate Juice as an Alternative “Substrate” for Probiotic Delivery. Recent Advances and Prospects

The probiotic products in the market are mostly milk-based products, such as yoghurts, cheese and fermented milk. However, lately, there has been an increasing demand for non-dairy probiotic products due to various reasons such as allergies, lactose intolerance, high cholesterol content and consumers turning to more natural foods. Fruit juices are considered as an appropriate new substrate for probiotic delivery. From these, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is gaining more attention in recent years. Pomegranate is a fruit known since ancient times for its therapeutic qualities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antitumor properties, among others. Pomegranate juice contains a range of bioactive compounds such as phytochemicals, like polyphenols, ellagitannins, anthocyanins and punicalagins. The fermentation of the juice with probiotic strains seems to provide beverages of high nutritional values and accepted organoleptic quality. Therefore, the aim of this comprehensive review is to present an overview of the innovative in vitro and in vivo assays that have taken place regarding fermentation of pomegranate juice by probiotic bacteria. In addition, various drawbacks are underlined and solutions are proposed and discussed regarding the feasibility of pomegranate juice as an alternative substrate for probiotic delivery.

Lactic Fermented Fruit or Vegetable Juices: Past, Present and Future

Numerous traditional low-alcohol fermented beverages produced from fruit or vegetables are described around the world. Fruit and vegetables and lactic fermented products both present nutritional benefits, which give reasons for the recent expansion of non-dairy lactic fermented juices on the market. In addition, fruit and vegetable juices are new carriers for probiotic bacteria. Specific phenotypic traits of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are required so that LAB can effectively grow in fruit or vegetable juices, increase their safety and improve their sensory and nutritional quality. From the diversity of microbiota of spontaneous fermentations, autochthonous starters can be selected, and their higher performance than allochthonous LAB was demonstrated. Achieving long-term storage and constant high quality of these beverages requires additional processing steps, such as heat treatment. Alternatives to conventional treatments are investigated as they can better preserve nutritional properties, extract bioactive compounds and promote the growth and metabolism of LAB. Specific processing approaches were shown to increase probiotic viability of fruit and vegetable juices. More knowledge on the metabolic activity of lactic acid bacterium consortium in fruit or vegetable juices has become a bottleneck for the understanding and the prediction of changes in bioactive compounds for functional beverages development. Hopefully, the recent developments of metabolomics and methods to describe enzymatic machinery can result in the reconstruction of fermentative pathways.

Assessment of the Usefulness of the Twin-Screw Press in Terms of the Pressing Efficiency and Antioxidant Properties of Apple Juice

The paper presents the possibility of applying a twin-screw press for juice extraction from apples with different textural properties. The research was carried out with six different varieties; namely, Granny Smith, Modi, Ligol, Lobo, Boscop and Szampion. During the experiment, the following properties were measured: texture properties, pressing yield and polyphenolic content; and ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity both in raw apples and apple juice. Based on the analysis, three hardness levels of apples can be distinguished, impacting the course of juice pressing in a twin-screw press (low hardness below 30 N, medium hardness 30–50 N and high hardness 50 N). The study showed that only high hardness apples are suitable for pressing on a twin-screw press. The mechanism by which texture properties influence the juice pressing process in the studied press was explained. It was further demonstrated that the hardness of apples has a positive impact on the degree of extraction of polyphenols and ascorbic acid into apple juice. This is caused by the different fracture patterns of tissues with different mechanical properties. High hardness apples (Granny Smith and Modi) were characterized by a considerably greater degree of bioactive substance extraction into juice than medium hardness apples.

Effect of Press Construction on Yield and Quality of Apple Juice

The paper presents the possibility of applying different press constructions for juice extraction in small farms. The research was carried out with three different varieties of apples, namely, Rubin, Mutsu, and Jonaprince. Two types of presses were tested: a basket press and a screw press. Generally, application of the screw press makes it possible to obtain a higher yield of extraction compared to the basket press. In our study, the differences in the pressing yield among press machines also depended on the apple variety used. The juices obtained on the screw press were found to be of a higher quality characterized by a higher content of soluble solids, higher viscosity, higher total content of polyphenols, higher antioxidant activity, and lower acidity. Thus, the selection of an appropriate press is the key to producing high-quality apple juice with health-promoting properties for manufacturers of apple juice at the local marketplace.

Health-Promoting Components in Fermented Foods: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review

Fermented foods have long been produced according to knowledge passed down from generation to generation and with no understanding of the potential role of the microorganism(s) involved in the process. However, the scientific and technological revolution in Western countries made fermentation turn from a household to a controlled process suitable for industrial scale production systems intended for the mass marketplace. The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date review of the latest studies which investigated the health-promoting components forming upon fermentation of the main food matrices, in order to contribute to understanding their important role in healthy diets and relevance in national dietary recommendations worldwide. Formation of antioxidant, bioactive, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and FODMAP-reducing components in fermented foods are mainly presented and discussed. Fermentation was found to increase antioxidant activity of milks, cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish. Anti-hypertensive peptides are detected in fermented milk and cereals. Changes in vitamin content are mainly observed in fermented milk and fruits. Fermented milk and fruit juice were found to have probiotic activity. Other effects such as anti-diabetic properties, FODMAP reduction, and changes in fatty acid profile are peculiar of specific food categories.