Effects of Pure and Mixed-Cultures ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeandWilliopsis saturnuson the Volatile Profiles of Grape Wine

Ocimum sanctum: The Journey from Sacred Herb to Functional Food

In recent years, the growing demand for herbal-based formulations, including functional foods, has acquired significant attention. This study highlights historical, botanical, ecological, and phytochemical descriptions and different extraction mechanisms of Ocimum sanctum utilized in its processing. Besides this, it explores the utilization of Ocimum sanctum as a functional food ingredient in various food products such as bakery products (biscuits, bread), dairy products (herbal milk, cheese), and beverages (tea, juice, wine) while focusing on their evaluation parameters, preparation techniques, and pharmacological activities. In terms of other pharmacological properties, Ocimum sanctum-infused functional foods exhibited cognitiveenhancing properties, adaptogenic qualities, anti-obesity effects, gastroprotective, antiinflammatory, hypoglycemic, and immuno-modulatory effects. Thus, the diverse properties of Ocimum sanctum offer exciting opportunities for the development of functional foods that can promote specific health issues, so future research should focus on developing and analyzing novel Ocimum sanctum-based functional foods to meet the growing demand of the functional food industry.

Linking the Diversity of Yeasts Inherent in Starter Cultures to Quorum Sensing Mechanism in Ethnic Fermented Alcoholic Beverages of Northeast India

In this review, the relevance of diversity of yeasts and their interactive association in household ethnic fermentation are discussed. The longstanding traditional household fermentation practice involves preparation of fermented product such as alcoholic beverages from various indigenous agricultural products with the help of microorganisms cultivated from local environment and perpetuated for hundreds of years through generations indoctrinating an indigenous knowledge system. Northeast India is known for its rich physiographic and geo-demographic diversity and is home to several ethnicities who follow unique practices of household traditional fermentation. The diversity of yeasts present within the microbial inoculum used for fermentation by different indigenous communities has been keenly studied and reported to be unique in spite of their common source for starter substrates. Saccharomyces yeasts are primarily involved in alcoholic fermentation, whereas non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which are reportedly confined to a particular geographical region, have been reported to contribute toward the final outcome of fermentation produce. During fermentation, interaction among these large microbial communities and their resulting physiological expression within the fermentation micro-environment is believed to affect the final quality of the product. Mechanism of quorum sensing plays an important role in these interactions in order to maintain proportionality of different yeast populations wherein the quorum sensing molecules not only regulate population density but also effectively aid in enhancement of alcoholic fermentation. Additionally, various secondary metabolites, which are secreted as a result of inter-species interactions, have been found to affect the quality of beverages produced. This review concludes that diverse species of yeasts and their interaction within the fermentation micro-environment influence the sustainability and productivity of household ethnic fermentation.

Effect of the apple cultivar on cloudy apple juice fermented by a mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus fermentum

This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation performance of a mixture of Lactobacillus spp. in cloudy apple juices from nine cultivars. The results showed that cultivar influenced most the properties of the fermented cloudy apple juice. The fermented cloudy apple juices made from Changfu had the highest viable bacterial count and acetic acid contents (6.37 × 10⁸ CFU/mL and 2.67 mg/mL, respectively). It also had higher sensory score, second only to Huaniu. The highest total sugar consumption, utilising fructose, glucose, and sucrose (33.07 mg/mL), was seen with Golden Delicious. Qinguan fermented cloudy apple juice had the highest contents of lactic acid (6.74 mg/mL) and total esters (921.36 μg/L); d-limonene also detected in this fermented cloudy apple juice. Of the nine cultivars examined in this study, Changfu, Qinguan, and Golden Delicious were the most suitable for producing fermented cloudy apple juice with better taste, higher viable count and more intense aroma.

Changes in volatile profile of soybean residue (okara) upon solid-state fermentation by yeasts

BACKGROUND

Soybean residue (okara), a by-product of soymilk, is produced in large volumes by the soy food industry and is often discarded due to its undesirable flavour. As it contains a considerable amount of protein and fats, biotransformation of okara to improve its flavour presents an opportunity for alternative utilisation. This paper evaluated 10 yeasts in the solid-state fermentation of okara based on their volatile profiles as analysed with HS-SPME GC-MS/FID. Four 'dairy yeasts' (Geotrichum candidum, Yarrowia lipolytica, Debaryomyces hansenii and Kluyveromyces lactis) and six 'wine yeasts' (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Pichia kluyveri, Torulaspora delbrueckii, and Williopsis saturnus) were studied.

RESULTS

The main off-odourants in okara, hexanal and trans-2-hexenal, significantly decreased after fermentation due to their bioconversion into methyl ketones and/or esters. The okara fermented by dairy yeasts contained greater proportions of methyl ketones, while that by wine yeasts contained more ethyl and acetyl esters. Notably, the okara fermented by W. saturnus contained 13 esters and the total GC-FID peak area of esters was about 380 times that in fresh okara, leading to a perceptible fruity note.

CONCLUSION

Okara can be exploited as an inexpensive substrate for bioflavour extraction and/or a more pleasant food ingredient via yeast fermentation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.