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The aromatic quality of chocolate requires the use of cocoa with high aromatic potential, this being acquired during the fermentation of cocoa beans. Traditional fermentation is still often carried out on a small scale with wild strains of yeasts and acetic bacteria and under poorly controlled conditions leading to cocoa quality ranging from best to worst. This study is the first part of a project aiming to control quality of cocoa to produce high aromatic quality chocolate by using a mixed starter of selected strains of yeast and acetic bacteria and by controlling the conditions of fermentation. To achieve this objective, a mathematical model of the alcoholic fermentation of cocoa beans has been developed. The growth, glucose consumption and ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae LM strain in synthetic broth were modeled for the most important intrinsic (pH, glucose, ethanol, free nitrogen and oxygen levels) and extrinsic (temperature, oxygen level) fermentation parameters. The model was developed by combining the effects of individual conditions in a multiplicative way using the gamma concept. The model was validated in liquid synthetic medium at two different inoculation levels 104 and 106 CFU/mL with an increase in temperature that recorded during spontaneous fermentations. The model clearly shows that the level of inoculation and the speed of the increase in temperature clearly drive yeast growth, while other factors including pH and ethanol, free nitrogen and oxygen levels have no significant impact on yeast growth.

International audience; Mare milk has been consumed for thousands of years in Central Asia and neighbouring regions. Its composition is similar to human milk, but different from cows’ milk. Fermentation with lactic acid bacteria and yeasts leads to the production of a traditional drink called qymyz. Qymyz, which is a symbol of good health, is a central part of the national cuisine and of the traditional cycle of horse husbandry, as well as playing a role in the cultural identity of Central Asian people. Mare milk, along with qymyz, has been reported to have a wide range of therapeutic effects. In this article, the authors have compiled information on mare milk composition, qymyz production and the therapeutic effects of mare milk and its products.

This paper describes a mixed fermentation model made by assembling block hosting models for the growth of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum) and a yeast strain (Pichia kluyveri), metabolic production and the physical-chemical changes which occur during the fermentation of gowe. The growth model for P. kluyveri was developed on a synthetic medium following the gamma concept taking into account the effect of pH, temperature, concentrations in glucose, lactic acid and ethanol. Additional parameters for the previously defined L. plantarum growth model were also determined (glucose and ethanol concentrations). The model was validated in three different gowe processing conditions. Even if the model underestimates LAB growth, it explains what occurs in the product and enables in silico extrapolation to various fermentation conditions. The predicted hydrolysis rates of native and gelatinised starches showed that increasing malt content is not an efficient way to increase the sweetness of gowe in contrast to increasing the level of pre-cooking. The builing-block model developed in this study could be applied to many other fermented foods and particularly to non-alcoholic but acid and sweet cereal based beverages.

In this study, coffee pulp was used as carbon source in solid-state fermentation to produce a phenol-rich extract for industrial applications. Fermentations were carried out at laboratory (0.4 kg), semi-pilot (12 kg) and pilot (90 kg) scales in presence of 2.5 g kg−1 yeast strains and with three different coffee pulp materials. The extract stability was investigated using different stabilizing agents: SO2, ascorbic and acetic acids. Then, a study was conducted to determine the effect of ultrasound treatment on extraction yields. Results showed that higher concentrations of chlorogenic acids were obtained with fermentation without ultrasound treatment and by adding sulfite at 0.5 wt% at 8 h of fermentation. Despite of variations in coffee pulp composition, the process was validated at semi-pilot and pilot scales, providing an extract 400% richer in chlorogenic acids (600 mg kg of coffee pulp) and with lower sugar amounts to separate during the downstream processing. Universidad de Costa Rica/[735-A2-502]/UCR/Costa Rica UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Centro Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos (CITA)

The objective of this work was to study the differences between some minerals content of gariss samples collected from two different production areas in two different production systems (i.e. traditional system Kordofan area and semi-intensive system- which, the camels are kept in an open barn and graze around the farm. The lactating female camels are supplemented with concentrates in addition to good quality ration containing groundnut cake and Sorghum biocolor and water supply upon required in Kordofan and Khartoum provinces in Sudan at the different seasons (summer, autumn and winter) and their gariss samples were collected. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus of gariss samples collected in autumn season (Kordofan area), summer season (Khartoum area), and winter season (Khartoum and Kordofan areas) were determined, after that the age of gariss was noted from farmers directly when the samples were collected. Four different ages of gariss which registered were (5-8 hrs, 12 hrs, 48 hrs and more than 48 hrs). Each fermentation time (age of gariss) was used for analyzing mineral contents. The results showed that gariss prepared from different production locations and in different seasons in Kordofan and Khartoum production areas were statistically different in most of the mineral contents determined. To conclude, different feeding sources or different physiological status may affect camels’ milk and consequently their gariss product, also different age of gariss had affects the mineral content of milk.

Gowe is a traditional fermented Beninese soft cooked paste made from a blend of malted and non-malted cereals that is diluted with water/ice and sugar just before consumption as a thirst-quenching drink. Major differences in the processes used for the preparation of gowe, which includes natural lactic fermentation, result in variable quality. Acidity and free sugar content have been linked to the process parameters but also to the type of strains that can be used for inoculation. The aim of this study was to investigate the starch degradation mechanism in relation with the activity of degrading enzymes during the preparation of gowe and enzyme impact on the quality (sugar content and viscosity) of the final product. Our results point to a key role for malt α-amylase and its susceptibility to acidic conditions in the sequence of the preparation process and in the final quality of gowe. Pre-cooking and inoculation speeds up and increases acidification of the product thereby favoring its safety, but reduces the final free sugar content and increases the final viscosity of gowe, which are both organoleptic defects of the product.

Gowé is an acidic beverage obtained after simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of sorghum. A previous paper focused on modeling the growth of lactic acid bacteria during gowé processing. This paper focuses on modeling starch amylolysis to build an aggregated SSF model. The activity of α-amylase was modeled as a function of temperature and pH, and the hydrolysis rates of both native and soluble starch were modeled via a Michaelis-Menten equation taking into account the maltose and glucose inhibition constants. The robustness of the parameter estimators was ensured by step by step identification in sets of experiments conducted with different proportions of native and gelatinized starch by modifying the pre-cooking temperature. The aggregated model was validated on experimental data and showed that both the pre-cooking and fermentation parameters, particularly temperature, are significant levers for controlling not only acid and sugar contents but also the expected viscosity of the final product. This generic approach could be used as a tool to optimize the sanitary and sensory quality of fermentation of other starchy products.

The objective of the present work was to estimate the prevalence of Bacillus cereus group species in traditional cereal-based lactic acid-fermented slurries and nonfermented flours used to prepare infant foods in an African context. High counts on mannitol-egg yolk-polymixin agar medium were determined for the fermented slurries (median, 4.5 × 10(4) CFU/ml of slurry) compared with the nonfermented flours, most of whose counts were lower than 10(-1) CFU/g. Virulence genes were characterized in 60 isolates from 26 traditional cereal-based foods in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Seventy-two and 38 % of isolates were positive for the complete set of genes coding for hemolysin BL and nonhemolytic enterotoxin, respectively, suggesting a high enterotoxigenic potential for these foodborne isolates. No potentially emetic toxin-producing strains were detected. Because of the high counts found for fermented slurries, survival tests with vegetative cells inoculated in fermented slurries were performed, which showed that growth of B. cereus was inhibited. This result suggests that fermentation in traditional production units is presumably not adequately controlled, enabling growth during any unit operations before fermentation, or even during the fermentation step, when the process was poorly controlled. However, adding nisin (0.1 mg/ml) enabled a 5-log reduction in the B. cereus population in 5 h, suggesting that the use of nisin could be a way to upgrade the hygienic quality of this type of food.

A global model of the lactic fermentation step of gowe was developed by assembling blocks hosting models for bacterial growth, lactic acid production, and the drop of pH during fermentation. Commercial strains of Lactobacillus brevis and of Lactobacillus plantarum were used; their growth was modeled using Rosso’s primary model and the gamma concept as a secondary model. The optimum values of pH and temperature were 8.3 ± 0.3, 44.6 ± 1.2 °C and 8.3 ± 0.3, 3.2 ± 37.1 °C with μmax values of 1.8 ± 0.2 and 1.4 ± 0.1 for L. brevis and L. plantarum respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration of undissociated lactic acid was 23.7 mM and 35.6 mM for L. brevis and L. plantarum, respectively. The yield of lactic acid was five times higher for L. plantarum than for L. brevis, with a yield of glucose conversion to lactic acid close to 2.0 for the former and 0.8 for the latter. A model was developed to predict the pH drop during gowe fermentation. The global model was partially validated during manufacturing of gowe. The global model could be a tool to aid in the choice of suitable starters and to determine the conditions for the use of the starter.

New bioprocesses to prepare high energy density (HED) gruels for complementary young child feeding are being developed based on the ability of amylolytic lactic acid bacteria (ALAB) to modify the rheological characteristics of cereal-based slurries, provided appropriate pretreatment are applied. Gelatinisation is a common pre-treatment which could be implemented to enhance the action of amylases, and has been successfully used in a former study (Nguyen, T. T. T., Loiseau, G., Icard-Vernière, C., Rochette, I., Trèche, S., & Guyot, J.-P. (2007). Effect of fermentation by amylolytic lactic acid bacteria in process combinations on characteristics of rice/soybean slurries: a new method to prepare high energy density complementary foods for young children. Food Chemistry, 100, 623-631.) in combination with ALAB to prepare from a blend of rice/soybean flours semi-liquid fermented HED gruels with a high dry matter (DM) content (23-32%). In this study, it is shown that a mild pre-heating treatment which consists in suspending a rice/soybean flour blend in hot water (70°C) combined with high pressure homogenisation (HPH) can substitute gelatinisation before fermentation by the ALAB Lactobacillus plantarum A6 to prepare HDE gruels after cooking of the fermented slurry. As an alternative, allowing better condition of handling and storage, spray drying can be applied to such pre-heated HPH treated fermented slurries to obtain fermented flours which can be used further to prepare HDE gruels. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch are naturally present in cereals. Fermentation of different combinations of these carbohydrates by Lactobacillus fermentum Ogi E1, a sourdough heterofermentative lactobacillus, was investigated to determine effects on fermentation kinetics, growth energetics and alpha-amylase production. Irrespective of the substrate combination, the strain was able to simultaneously produce alpha-amylase and consume starch, glucose, fructose and sucrose. In mixtures of starch with either sucrose or fructose or with both fructose and glucose, yields of alpha-amylase from biomass (Y(amy/x)) were similar to those observed for starch. However, for starch and glucose or starch, glucose, fructose and sucrose mixtures, both Y(amy/x) and the specific rate of alpha-amylase production decreased markedly. In fructose- or sucrose-containing mixtures, mannitol was formed stoichiometrically indicating that fructose served as electron acceptor, and acetate was produced at constant yield from biomass (Y(ac/x)) (1 g acetate g biomass(-1)). Acetate production was expected to confer to the strain a competitive advantage during natural fermentation by improving biomass formation and growth through an increase in the ATP gain. Y(ATP) varied depending on the carbohydrate mixture, indicating different effects of substrate mixtures on the efficiency in ATP coupling to biomass formation. Compared to starch fermentation, the highest value of Y(ATP) (29 g biomass mol ATP(-1)) was estimated for the starch/fructose mixture but no increase in mu(max) was observed. The lowest value (16 g biomass mol ATP(-1)) was obtained for the starch, glucose and fructose mixture, whereas for the mixture of all carbohydrates, Y(ATP) was similar to that obtained with starch alone (20 g biomass mol ATP(-1)) and it was intermediary for the starch and sucrose mixture (17 g biomass mol ATP(-1)). It is concluded that competitiveness of the strain cannot be based on expected energy gain in mixed substrate fermentation involving fructose and sucrose with glucose and starch, but rather on its ability to simultaneously use carbohydrates while producing alpha-amylase and to produce acetic acid. Acetic acid production could enhance the strain capacity to inhibit nonacid-tolerant, competitive microflora at the earlier stage of natural fermentation.

Aims : Nutritional requirements of #Lactobacillus fermentum$ Ogi E1 were studied in order to define a simplified fermentation medium. Methods and Results : When grown with MRS-medium in 21 bioreactors, a biphasic pattern of growth and metabolite production was observed. Study of nutritional requirements resulted in a simplified medium (SYAM) that allowed, under anaerobiosis, similar results to be obtained as in MRS medium, but without biphasic fermentation kinetics. The best substrates for both growth and amylase production were starch and maltose. Although melibiose, raffinose, fructose, sucrose and glucose also supported growth, lower amylase activity was observed. Conclusions : The physiology of the strain can be investigated with SYAM medium, using either starch or maltose as substrate. The strain also presented potential for alpha-galactoside fermentation. Significance and Impact of the Study : #Lactobacillus fermentum$ was one of the dominant bacteria of African maize dough fermentations. Amylolytic strains with activity against other compounds (i.e. raffinose) suggested a potential to be used as starter for cereal fermentation. (Résumé d'auteur)

This study examined the feasibility of coupling dehydration-impregnation by soaking (DIS) with a subsequent lactic fermentation in the treatment of meat. A series of beef fillets were subjected to 3 different DIS treatments. The resulting DIS-treated fillets had 3 different characteristics in terms of water activity, salt, and fermentable sugars contents. Fillets treated with the DIS with the shortest immersion time (5 h) and the highest salt concentration in the DIS bath (100 g/L) were inoculated with Lactobacillus sakei. A control group was left without inoculation. After 24 h incubation at 25 °C, only inoculated fillets showed signs of lactic fermentation. At 24 h, these fillets had a d-lactic acid content of 68 μmol/g dry basis and a high population of L. sakei revealed by methods of plate count and quantitative PCR. DIS could therefore be compatible with a subsequent fermentation step by L. sakei.Traditional meat preservation processes often combine unit operations such as salting, smoking, fermentation, and drying. In tropical countries, high temperatures and high relative humidity, poor infrastructure, and improper slaughterhouse practices explain the need for more drastic processes (more salt, more water loss) for meat preservation. Dehydration-impregnation by soaking (DIS) could be used as a rapid pretreatment of meat, in order to counteract tropical conditions. This study validates a novel approach whereby DIS is coupled with lactic fermentation by surface inoculation with Lactobacillus sakei. With a final drying step this process could be used for the treatment of whole meat pieces.

The effectiveness of the fermented milk product for decreasing the absorption of Lead (Pb) in vivo by testing several combinations of different strains and individual strains of LAB isolated from camel milk and shubat (fermented camel milk) was determined. During 4 weeks 0.5 ppm of Pb was given to cavies in fermented milk product and water. Control group and groups treated only by fermented milk products, also, were observed. Faeces, Blood, Heart, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys, and Spleen were analyzed. The lead concentrations in faeces of Control group and lead nitrate treated group were nearly the same. The quantity of Pb in faeces of fermented milk treated groups was higher than in Control and Water Pb groups. In the different cavies' organs of Water Pb group, the higher concentration of heavy metal (ppm) was observed in spleen (1.04), heart (0.65), kidneys (0.58), and blood (0.46) to be compared to 0.82, 0.2, 0.58 and 0.31 respectively in control group. In groups treated with fermented milk without/with Pb, the lead concentration decreased in target organs. Quantity of lead in blood samples of Control group and groups treated fermented milk products without/with Pb is nearly same. Highest concentration of blood Pb was observed for Water Pb group.

The use of amylolytic lactic acid bacteria (ALAB) in new methods to prepare high energy density complementary foods for young children was investigated. Using gelatinised slurry, composed of a mixture of rice with soybean, fermentation kinetics by the ALAB Lactobacillus plantarum A6, and chemical and theological changes were studied at different dry matter (DM) contents. At high DM content (23%), it was possible to obtain a semi-liquid fermented gruel presenting the necessary characteristics to fulfil the energy requirement of young children. Furthermore, combination with spray-drying, as a post-treatment after fermentation by strain A6, had the additional advantage of enabling the use of spray-dried fermented flour to prepare gruels with higher DM content (30-33%) corresponding to 128-140 kcal/100 g of gruel. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cocoa fermentation was monitored at the IDIAF (Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales) "Mata Larga" experimental station, in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. The maximum average fermentation temperature reached 51°C after 48 h and the pH reached 4.5 after 144 h of fermentation. A significant decrease in glucose, fructose and citric acid was seen in the pulp over the first 48 h. There was a delay of 24 h between maximum microbial growth and maximum concentrations of the respective metabolites, which occurred after 48 h for ethanol and after 72 h for acetic acid. A maximum concentration in lactic acid was found after around 120 h of fermentation. The aerobic mesophilic flora increased from 6.1 × 106 to a maximum of 4.2 × 107 CFU g-1 of dry matter after 48 h of fermentation. Yeasts displayed maximum development after 24 h (6.1 × 107 CFU g-1 of dry matter), whilst for lactic and acetic acid bacteria it occurred after 48 h (7.3 × 107 and 1.5 × 108 CFU g-1 of dry matter respectively). The yeasts isolated belonged to the genera Hanseniaspora and Candida, the lactic acid bacteria to the genus Lactobacillus, and the acetic acid bacteria to the genus Acetobacter. The differences compared to other fermentation trials concerned the micropopulation from a qualitative point of view. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lactobacillus fermentum Ogi E1 is an amylolytic heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium previously isolated from ogi, a Benin maize sourdough. In the present study, the effect of different pH between 3.5 and 6.0 on starch fermentation products and [alpha]-amylase production was investigated. Whereas a pH of 5.0 was optimum for specific growth rate and lactic acid production, growth was only slightly affected at suboptimal pH of 4.0 and 6.0. Over a pH range of 6.0 to 3.5, yields of product formation from substrate and of biomass relative to ATP were constant. These results showed that L. fermentum Ogi E1 was particularly acid tolerant, and well adapted to the acid conditions that develop during natural fermentation of cereal doughs. This acid tolerance may partly explain the dominance of L. fermentum in various traditional African sourdoughs. Surprisingly, [alpha]-amylase production, unlike growth, dropped dramatically when the strain was cultivated at pH 4.0 with starch. With maltose as substrate, the yield of [alpha]-amylase relative to biomass remained unchanged at pH 4.0 and 5.0, unlike that observed with starch. Based on the distribution of enzyme activity between extra- and intracellular fractions and fermentation kinetics, it appears that starch was first hydrolyzed into dextrins by [alpha]-amylase activity, and maltose was produced from dextrins by extracellular enzyme activity, transferred into the cell and then hydrolyzed into glucose by intracellular [alpha]-glucosidase.

Shubat and Koumiss are traditional fermented products widely consumed in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Microflora of those fermented products is composed of bacteria and yeasts, which could have deep impacts on beverages quality. Although, the known presence of yeast in such fermented foods, few studies on yeast microflora of Shubat and Koumiss were available. The aim of the study was to identify the main indigenous yeasts in these traditional beverages and additionally, the differences between these 2 types of fermented products. Five samples of fresh and fermented camel and mare's milk from tank were collected in 5 different farms, located in South of Kazakhstan. Farms were selected because of their importance of production of fermented milk at the regional level and the reputation of these products among the consumers. Yeast biodiversity in Shubat and Koumiss was studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Target DNA bands were identified according to the reference species ladder, constructed in this study. Co-migrating bands present in the DGGE profiles were resolved by species-specific PCR. Galactomyces geotrichum, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Kazachstania unispora, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Dekkera anomala, Dekkera bruxellensis yeast were identified. Some yeasts were not identified by used primers. In all samples of Shubat and Koumiss the dominant yeast species were Kazakhstania unispora, Kluyveromyces marxianu. Other species were not present in all samples.