Study Results from National University of Ireland Broaden Understanding of Food and Farming (Fermentation of Brown Seaweeds Alaria Esculenta and Saccharina Latissima for New Product Development Using Lactiplantbacillus Plantarum, Saccharomyces...).

New research from the National University of Ireland explores the use of brown seaweed species as a fermentation substrate for the development of a novel, fermented beverage. The study examined two seaweed species, Alaria esculenta and Saccharina latissima, and tested three microbial groups for fermentation: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and kombucha SCOBY. The results showed that the SCOBY cultures were more successful in fermenting A. esculenta, while L. plantarum played a major role in fermenting S. latissima. The study suggests that there is potential for optimizing the seaweed fermentation process through strain selection, fermentation conditions optimization, and seaweed biomass pretreatment. [Extracted from the article]