Cereal flours with Bacillus coagulans and beta-glucan: Technological properties and sensory acceptability.

This study aimed to develop three formulations of cereal flours: control cereal flour (CCF), probiotic cereal flour (PCF), and symbiotic cereal flour (SCF), and porridges from the flours were manufactured as a functional food. No significant differences were observed in the microbiological quality and the color of the flours for 150 days. The technological and functional potential of the flours were variously improved with the addition of Bacillus coagulans as a probiotic and beta-glucan as a prebiotic. The addition of beta-glucan fiber did not change the viability of the probiotic, which was higher than 7.45 log CFU/g for SCF and 7.13 log CFU/g for PCF until the end of the storage period. All porridge samples showed non-Newtonian fluid behavior with pseudoplastic characteristics; and the PCF and SCF porridges differed regarding the parameters of hardness (1.10 to 1.38 N), adhesiveness (5.88 to 8.86 mJ), cohesiveness (0.78 to 0.95) and gumminess (0.93 to 1.52 N) over time. The addition of the beta-glucan prebiotic interfered with these attributes due to its gelling capacity in the presence of water. The PCF obtained the best sensory acceptance scores when compared to the other formulations. The addition of Bacillus coagulans and beta-glucan did not interfere with thermographic behavior. The SCF differed in the observed crystallinity parameters from CCF and PCF, with the presence of larger solids and agglomerates.

ß-Glucosidase activity and antimicrobial properties of potentially probiotic autochthonous lactic cultures.

Background: The demand for lactic acid bacteria products, especially probiotics, has increased. Bacteria that increase polyphenol bioavailability and act as bio preservatives are sought after. This study aims to identify autochthonous lactic acid cultures from EMBRAPA that demonstrate ß-glucosidase activity and inhibitory effect on microbial sanitary indicators. Methods: Cell-free extracts were obtained by sonicating every 5 s for 40 min. The extracts were mixed with cellobiose and incubated at 50 °C. The reaction was stopped by immersing the tubes in boiling water. The GOD-POD reagent was added for spectrophotometer readings. Antimicrobial activity was tested against reference strains using the agar well diffusion method. Lactic cultures in MRS broth were added to 0.9 cm wells and incubated. The diameter of the inhibition zones was measured to determine the extension of inhibition. Results: Only L. rhamnosus EM1107 displayed extracellular ß-glucosidase activity, while all autochthonous strains except L. plantarum CNPC020 demonstrated intracellular activity for this enzyme. L. plantarum CNPC003 had the highest values. On the other hand, L. plantarum CNPC020, similarly to L. mucosae CNPC007, exhibited notable inhibition against sanitary indicators. These two strains significantly differed from the other five autochthonous cultures regarding S. enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 inhibition (P < 0.05). However, they did not differ from at least one positive control in terms of inhibition against S. aureus ATCC 25923 and E. coli ATCC 25922 (P > 0.05). Therefore, it is advisable to consider these cultures separately for different technological purposes, such as phenolics metabolism or bio preservative activity. This will facilitate appropriate selection based on each specific property required for the intended product development.

Physicochemical and functional properties of new sports drink with ricotta cheese whey and a brazilian passion fruit variety.

The present study investigated the bioaccessibility of minerals, bioactive compounds, and sensory acceptance of isotonic beverages formulated with Ricotta cheese whey (RCW) and passion fruit cv. BRS Sertão Forte. Three formulations were developed: I1 with 50% RCW and 5% passion fruit pulp, I2 with 50% RCW and 8.5% pulp, and I3 with 30% RCW and 12% pulp. I3 showed higher ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activity, exhibited the highest scores in the consumer test, and maintained its physicochemical stability and microbiological safety during the storage at 7 °C for 56 days. (-)-Epicatechin gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, and cis-resveratrol were the main phenolic compounds quantified in the isotonic beverages. I1 and I3 exhibited high bioaccessibility of the minerals K, Na, and Mg (37-70%) compared to I2, which showed bioaccessibility between 31 and 40%. The beverages developed are innovative alternatives for the market of supplements for athletes, combining the use of a dairy industry by-product and a new variety of passion fruit to date little-explored economically. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05636-5.

Development and characterization of lactose-free probiotic goat milk beverage with bioactive rich jambo pulp.

Goat milk is considered a suitable matrix for the successful incorporation of probiotics, also obtaining new lactose-free fermented products can expand its use. This study aimed to develop and characterize formulations of lactose-free probiotic fermented goat dairy beverages as well as to determine the most appropriate concentration of red jambo pulp to be added. The beverages were developed with different concentrations of lactose-free goat milk and frozen jambo pulp (12, 15 and 18% w/v) and lyophilized (3, 6 and 9% w/v), corresponding to formulations F1 to F6, respectively, as source of bioactive compounds. Probiotics counts decreased significantly (from 8.58 to 7.38 log CFU mL-1). The formulation with a higher proportion of lyophilized (F6) pulp showed the highest levels of phenolic compounds (72.08 mg GAE 100 g-1), anthocyanins (50.80 mg cyanidin-3-glycoside 100 g-1), ascorbic acid (41.68 mg 100 g-1), and antioxidant activity (16.21 µmol TE g-1) (P < 0.05). On the other hand, F3 presented the highest global acceptance and purchase intention (P < 0.05). However, the principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the components related to bioactive compounds (PC1) stood out on sensory attributes (PC3 and PC4) and, therefore, F6 was most appropriate for obtaining a lactose-free goat probiotic fermented milk with improved bioactive properties targeting lactose intolerant consumers and those who are allergic to bovine milk proteins. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05399-z.

Mozzarella Cheese Stretching: A Minireview.

Mozzarella cheese stretching is a thermomechanical treatment influenced by factors such as pH, acidity, stretching time and temperature. The aim of this minireview is to provide information about the stretching step and the effect of the main factors on the functional properties of mozzarella. The presented studies show that stretching under higher temperatures promotes more interactions in the protein matrix, and changes occur in the calcium balance throughout the storage period that influence water mobility, proteolysis and lead to changes in mozzarella properties. Therefore, the information presented in this minireview may facilitate the production of mozzarella cheese with specific functional properties.

Textura instrumental e avaliação sensorial de queijo fresco cremoso simbiótico: implicações da adição de Lactobacillus paracasei e inulina / Influence of Lactobacillus paracasei and inulin on instrumental texture and sensory evaluation of fresh cream cheese

Avaliou-se o efeito da adição do probiótico Lactobacillus paracasei e da fibra prebiótica inulina sobre o perfil de textura e as características sensoriais de queijo fresco cremoso. Três tratamentos de queijo fresco cremoso foram preparados em quintuplicata, em escala piloto, todos suplementados com uma cultura starter de Streptococcus thermophilus (T1, T2 e T3). L. paracasei subsp. paracasei foi adicionado em T1 e T2. Inulina foi adicionada em T2. O perfil de textura instrumental foi determinado após 1, 7, 14 e 21 dias de armazenamento. A análise sensorial foi conduzida aos 7 dias de armazenamento dos queijos. A presença de Lactobacillus paracasei nos queijos T1 e T2 e de inulina em T2 não alterou significativamente o perfil de textura (p>0,05). Os queijos T1 apresentaram a menor preferência na análise sensorial e diferiram significativamente de T2 e T3 (p<0,05), fato este atribuído ao sabor ácido, por parte dos provadores. Por outro lado, T2 foi o preferido, porém, não diferindo significativamente de T3 (p>0,05). A adição de inulina ao queijo fresco cremoso produzido com a suplementação de uma cepa potencialmente probiótica de Lactobacillus paracasei resultou em um produto com características adequadas e com propriedades funcionais agregadas.

The influence of the addition of a potential probiotic culture of Lactobacillus paracasei and of the prebiotic fiber inulin on the texture profile and on the sensory evaluation of probiotic and synbiotic fresh cream-cheeses was monitored. Three cheese-making trials were prepared in quintuplicate, all supplemented with a Streptococcus thermophilus starter culture (T1, T2 and T3). L. paracasei subsp. paracasei was added to T1 and T2, and inulin, to T2. The instrumental texture profile was determined after 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of storage of the cheeses. Sensory evaluation was performed after 7 days of storage. The presence of Lactobacillus paracasei in cheeses T1 and T2 and of inulin in cheeses T2 did not alter the texture profile significantly. Cheeses T1 were the least preferred in the sensory evaluation and differed significantly from T2 and T3, due to acidic taste, according to panelists. On the other hand, T2 was the most preferred one, though not significantly different from T3. The addition of the prebiotic ingredient inulin to fresh cream cheese processed with a potentially probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei strain resulted in a product with appropriate features and with aggregated functional properties.

Desenvolvimento de queijo 'petit-suisse' simbiótico / Development of a synbiotic 'petit-suisse' cheese

A associação de ingredientes prebióticos com microrganismos probióticos na elaboração de produtos lácteos pode resultar na obtenção de produtos simbióticos, com os efeitos benéficos dos probióticos, aliado ao estímulo seletivo das bifidobactérias endógenas do cólon. Objetivou-se desenvolver um queijo petit-suisse simbiótico, suplementado com os probióticos Lactobacillus acidophilus e Bifidobacterium lactis e os prebióticos inulina, oligofrutose e mel; avaliar a viabilidade dos probióticos e do starter, a concentração de frutanos, a aceitabilidade sensorial e parâmetros físico-químicos durante o seu armazenamento a 4±1°C por até 28 dias; otimizar as misturas envolvendo os prebióticos, garantindo a boa viabilidade probiótica e o potencial efeito prebiótico, associados a características tecnológicas e sensoriais satisfatórias. Para esse fim, foram desenvolvidas formulações de queijo petit-suisse, com Lactobacillus acidophilus e Bifidobacterium lactis, utilizando Streptococcus thermophilus como starter, conforme o delineamento da superfície de resposta para misturas com três fatores: oligofrutose, inulina e mel. Os fatores foram combinados em diferentes proporções, de modo a obter 10% da formulação final, totalizando 7 ensaios e um controle (T1 a T8). As populações dos probióticos estiveram sempre superiores ao recomendado para a promoção dos efeitos benéficos, tendo variado de 7,20 a 7,69 log ufc g-1 (B. lactis) e de 6,08 a 6,99 log ufc g-1 (L. acidophilus). Os valores de pH decresceram e de acidez cresceram ao longo do tempo, devido à atividade dos microrganismos acidificantes presentes, tendo diferido significativamente entre os ensaios (p<0,05). A umidade permaneceu estável e diferiu significativamente entre os ensaios (p<0,05). O ingrediente que mais afetou a textura instrumental foi a inulina, fornecendo produtos mais firmes, mais coesos e com adesividade e gomosidade maiores. Oligofrutose e mel, como ingredientes únicos, produziram queijo petit-suisse com menor firmeza, adesividade e gomosidade, parâmetros estes correlacionados negativamente com o pH nos diferentes produtos estudados, ao contrário do que ocorreu com a coesividade. Os ensaios não diferiram significativamente quanto à aceitabilidade sensorial com painel de consumidores, exceto aos 28 dias de armazenamento (p<0,05). Aqueles contendo oligofrutose (T1) e oligofrutose mais inulina (T4) foram os mais bem aceitos, enquanto o controle (T8) foi o menos aceito. Todos os resultados ficaram entre "gostei ligeiramente" e "gostei moderadamente". A aceitabilidade foi crescente durante o armazenamento, significativamente (p<0,05) apenas para os ensaios que continham oligofrutose ou inulina sozinhos e sua combinação. Os atributos mais citados pelos consumidores foram o sabor - mais preferido nos ensaios T1 (oligofrutose), T3 (mel) e T5 (oligofrutose mais mel) e menos preferido no T8 (controle), e a textura, sempre menos preferida, em virtude de "arenosidade". Todas as combinações dos ensaios estudadas, exceto o T3 (mel), podem ser consideradas prebióticas, partindo-se da recomendação de 4 a 5 g dia-1 de frutanos e com uma porção diária de 100 g de queijo petit-suisse. A Metodologia da Superfície de Resposta aplicada para otimizar a viabilidade dos probióticos, a firmeza instrumental, o teor de frutanos e o custo, resultou na mistura ótima contendo 25% de oligofrutose, 70% de inulina e 5% de mel e desejabilidade global de 99,55%

Due to the potential synergy between probiotics and prebiotics, dairy products containing a combination of these ingredients are often referred to as synbiotic, providing the beneficial effects of the probiotics combined with the effect of selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of bifidobacterium in the colon. The purpose of this study was to develop a synbiotic petit-suisse cheese, supplemented with the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis and the prebiotics inulin, oligofructose and honey; to monitor the viability of the probiotics and the starter, the concentration of fructans, and also the sensory acceptance and physico-chemical parameters during refrigerated storage (4±1°C) for up to 28 days; to optimize the mixtures involving the prebiotic ingredients, in order to guarantee good probiotic viability and potential prebiotic effects, together with to satisfactory technological and sensory properties. The formulations were developed according to the surface response methodology for mixtures including three factors: oligofructose, inulin and honey. The prebiotics were combined in different proportions (to achieve 10% of total mixture), and 7 trials plus a control trial were obtained (T1 to T8). Probiotic populations were always above the minimum counts suggested for providing health benefits, and varied from 7.20 up to 7.69 log cfu g-1 (B. lactis) and from 6.08 up to 6.99 log cfu g-1 (L. acidophilus). The pH values decreased and the acidity values increased significantly during storage, and were statistically different in the various trials (P<0.05), due to the acidifying effect of the organisms present. The moisture remained stable during storage and also varied statistically in the trials (P<0.05). Instrumental texture profile was greatly influenced by inulin, resulting in firmer, more cohesive and adhesive products, and with higher gumminess. Oligofructose and honey added as sole ingredients produced a less firm, adhesive and gummy cheese. The pH influenced the instrumental firmness, adhesiveness and gumminess negatively, and cohesiveness positively. There was no significant difference in sensory acceptance for the consumer panel between the different trials, except after 28 days of storage (P<0.05). The acceptance was significantly higher for cheeses supplemented with oligofructose (T1) and oligofructose plus inulin (T4), whereas the control (T8) was less accepted. The results always ranged from like slightly to like moderately. Acceptability increased during storage, though significantly (P<0.05) only for cheeses supplemented with oligofructose and/or inulin. Taste was the most preferred attribute for trials T1 (oligofructose), T3 (honey), and T5 (oligofructose plus honey) and less preferred for T8 (control). Texture attribute was always the least preferred, due to the "dust" present. All cheese trials, except T3 (honey), can be considered prebiotic, according to the recommended ingestion of 4 to 5 g day -1 of fructans for a 100g daily portion. The response surface methodology, applied to optimize probiotic viability, instrumental firmness, fructans content and cost, resulted in an optimum mixture containing 25% oligofructose, 70% inulin and 5% honey and global desirability of 99.55%