Development of Fermented Milks with Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 Isolated from Minas Artisanal Cheese
, Bruna Samara dos Santos Rekowsky 1,2, Madian Johel Galo Salgado 1,2, Maria Fernanda Barreto da Hora Lopes 1,2, Marcelo Resende de Souza 3, Marion Pereira da Costa 1,2 and José Givanildo da Silva 1,2,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript addresses the development of fermented milk beverages using Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 strains isolated from artisanal Minas cheese. The study is well designed, combining microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory analyses, and the results are clearly presented. The topic is relevant and timely, fitting well within the scope of Fermentation, and the findings provide valuable insights for the application of probiotic strains in dairy technology.
For improving the manuscript, I have noted the following in the text: For Figure 1, please provide a list of abbreviations in the figure legend, as each figure should be self-sufficient and allow readers to understand the content without having to search for definitions in the main text.
Although it is not common for sensory analyses of cheese, ethical approval was obtained in this study.
I did not notice any typographical errors, and therefore it is not necessary to include the manuscript as an attachment to the review.
Although the manuscript is well aligned with the scope of Fermentation and provides relevant results on the application of autochthonous LAB strains in fermented dairy products, the conclusion section remains somewhat general. The authors emphasize the importance of probiotics in functional foods at a broad level, without sufficiently linking these statements to the specific findings of the study. I recommend that the conclusion be more directly focused on the actual results obtained and that the novelty and potential industrial application of the isolates used in this work be highlighted more clearly.
Overall, I find the manuscript suitable for publication after minor revisions.
Author Response
GENERAL COMMENTS BY THE AUTHORS:
We thank the reviewers for their valuable time and constructive comments, which have greatly improved the quality and clarity of our manuscript. We believe that we have fully addressed all of these concerns and comments, which have increased the overall impact of the manuscript and matches Fermentation scientific quality. Below we provide detailed responses to each point raised, and we have revised the manuscript accordingly.
RESPONSE TO REVIEWER:
Reviewer 1
Comment 1: The manuscript addresses the development of fermented milk beverages using Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 strains isolated from artisanal Minas cheese. The study is well designed, combining microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory analyses, and the results are clearly presented. The topic is relevant and timely, fitting well within the scope of Fermentation, and the findings provide valuable insights for the application of probiotic strains in dairy technology.
Answer: Thank you for your encouraging comment. We appreciate your overall evaluation of our manuscript. We have carefully reviewed each section and implemented improvements to address your concerns, as detailed below.
Comment 2: For improving the manuscript, I have noted the following in the text: For Figure 1, please provide a list of abbreviations in the figure legend, as each figure should be self-sufficient and allow readers to understand the content without having to search for definitions in the main text.
Answer: Thank you for this important observation. A list of abbreviations has been added to the legend of figure 1 as requested, to facilitate the reader's understanding.
Comment 3: Although it is not common for sensory analyses of cheese, ethical approval was obtained in this study.
Answer: Thank you for noting this. This study performed a sensory analysis of preference classification of fermented milk samples prepared with LAB previously isolated from artisanal cheeses.. According to the National Research Ethics Commission - CONEP of the National Health Council (Resolution No. 196/1996), approval by an ethics committee is mandatory for all studies involving human participation in Brazil.
Comment 4: I did not notice any typographical errors, and therefore it is not necessary to include the manuscript as an attachment to the review.
Answer: ok, thank you.
Comment 5: Although the manuscript is well aligned with the scope of Fermentation and provides relevant results on the application of autochthonous LAB strains in fermented dairy products, the conclusion section remains somewhat general. The authors emphasize the importance of probiotics in functional foods at a broad level, without sufficiently linking these statements to the specific findings of the study. I recommend that the conclusion be more directly focused on the actual results obtained and that the novelty and potential industrial application of the isolates used in this work be highlighted more clearly.
Answer: We thank you for your suggestion. To improve understanding and increase focus on the topic, we have made changes throughout in the Conclusion section (lines 550-553 and 557-561).
Kind Regards,
José Givanildo da Silva,
PhD, Professor, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe research is interesting and provides valuable information. I recommend expanding the research to include other aspects. The one presented here is missing a few things, which I request the Authors address:
In Lines 73–74: 'Skimmed milk powder, UHT skimmed milk' – please provide the specific fat content and a composition analysis of the basic ingredients.
In Line 173, 'in refrigerated portions of 15 ml', please provide the specific temperature.
In Lines 176–178, please specify how the volunteers were supposed to determine the sample with the highest level of acceptance. Please add more information.
In Lines 197–198, 'The results indicated compliance with current Brazilian legislation and confirmed their suitability for consumption' – what exactly? Specify the quality control process, detailing what was taken into account, and compare it to Brazilian regulations and the Codex Alimentarius Standard.
Author Response
Reviewer 2
Comment 1: The research is interesting and provides valuable information. I recommend expanding the research to include other aspects.
Answer: Thank you for your encouraging comment. We appreciate your overall evaluation of our manuscript. We have carefully reviewed each section and implemented improvements to address your concerns, as detailed below.
Comment 2: In Lines 73–74: 'Skimmed milk powder, UHT skimmed milk' – please provide the specific fat content and a composition analysis of the basic ingredients;
Answer: Thank you for this important observation. We have included the requested information.
“Skimmed milk powder: (Amount per 20g serving) Total fat 0.0g; Basic ingredients: Skimmed milk. UHT skimmed milk : (Amount per 100mL serving) Total fat 0.0g; Basic ingredients: Skimmed milk, stabilizers pentasodium triphosphate, trisodium citrate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, and disodium diphosphate.”
Comment 3: In Line 173, 'in refrigerated portions of 15 ml', please provide the specific temperature;
Answer: We agree that this information should be included in the text. The temperature of the samples served during the sensory analysis was 8ºC +/- 2ºC.
Comment 4: In Lines 176–178, please specify how the volunteers were supposed to determine the sample with the highest level of acceptance. Please add more information;
Answer: We appreciate the opportunity to clarify. In the sensory analysis, volunteers received an evaluation form where they had to indicate the code of the samples received, in ascending order of their preference, from the most preferred sample to the least preferred sample. We adapted the text for a better understanding (lines 183-187).
Comment 5: In Lines 197–198, 'The results indicated compliance with current Brazilian legislation and confirmed their suitability for consumption' – what exactly? Specify the quality control process, detailing what was taken into account, and compare it to Brazilian regulations and the Codex Alimentarius Standard.
Answer: We appreciate the opportunity to clarify. The objective of verifying the microbiological and physicochemical quality of skimmed milk powder and skimmed UHT milk was to characterize the milks used and, consequently, ensure quality control of the production of fermented milks. For microbiological control, analyses were performed on the global count of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms (CFU/ml), global count of thermophilic microorganisms (CFU/ml), count of enterobacteria (CFU/mL), count of Staphylococcus spp. and research of Salmonella spp. For physicochemical control, the following analyses were performed: pH, titratable acidity, and fat percentage determinations. All recommended by the Technical Regulation of Identity and Quality (RTIQ) established by Brazilian legislation. We adapted the text for a better understanding (lines 86-92, 216-220 and 294-299).
Kind Regards,
José Givanildo da Silva,
PhD, Professor, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
