Search Results (20)

In this study, we analysed cocoa (a dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao L.) from two Amazonian cultivars and a commercial sample of the Amazonian variety EETP801, grown under sustainable organic conditions, in comparison to CCN51 cocoa grown on a neighbouring commercial farm using standard practises and a European commercial cacao powdered beverage. The overall metabolite profile of the 70% aq acetone sample cocoa extracts was analysed using high-performance TLC analyses (HPTLC), and the xanthine alkaloids were analysed using quantitative liquid chromatography–UV photodiode array (HPLC-DAD) analyses. The volatile fraction in the headspace of the freshly ground cocoa was subjected to solid phase micro-extraction and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Total polyphenol content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Despite the reduced production of cocoa by the EETP801 cultivar in comparison with the CCN51 cultivar, the obtained produce is significantly richer in theobromine (130 mg vs. 170 mg per g of cacao), with CCN51 having a double concentration of theophylline (12.6 vs. 6.5 mg per g of cacao). Qualitatively, the two Amazonian cocoa samples had a similar polyphenolic composition (per the HPTLC fingerprint). HS-SPME/GC-MS analyses revealed that all the samples show a spontaneous emission profile mainly rich in non-terpene derivatives, of which hydrocarbons and pyrazines are the most abundant groups. The most represented volatile organic compound is n-tridecane for both EETP801 and CCN51. The variability in the artisan fermentation and roasting processes influenced certain aspects of the volatile composition as reflected by the trimethyl pyrazine/tetramethyl pyrazine ratio, which was zero in EETP-801 and lower than 1 in CCN51. Acetic acid was absent in CCN51 but significant (c.a. 5.5.%) in EETP801 and the commercial samples. The cultivar EETP801 is a viable option for a more ecologically conscious sector of the cocoa beverages consumer group. Full article

Kombucha is an ancient, fermented beverage that has gained increasing popularity worldwide due to its potential health benefits. Its origins trace back to China, from where it spread across Asia and Europe before reaching the modern global market. The fermentation of kombucha is mediated by a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts (SCOBY), comprising yeasts, acetic acid bacteria, and lactic acid bacteria. The microbial consortium plays a crucial role in the production of organic acids and bioactive metabolites, shaping the sensory characteristics of the beverage. Given the growing interest in kombucha as a functional beverage, this study aims to explore its historical background, fermentation process, and microbiological composition, including key yeasts, acid acetic bacteria, and lactic acid bacteria and their interactions. Additionally, we describe the potential health effects of kombucha, particularly its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, the probiotic potential of the strains associated with kombucha, and safety considerations while also addressing the risks associated with its consumption. Although several studies suggested that kombucha may have antioxidants, antimicrobial, and probiotic properties, as well as contribute to gut microbiota regulation and immune system support, there is significant variability in the composition of the beverage, especially in artisanal preparations. This variability poses challenges in standardizing its potential effects and ensuring consistent safety. The risk of contamination further underscores the importance of adhering to strict sanitary production standards. To scientifically validate its health benefits and guarantee safe consumption, further research with larger sample sizes and robust methodologies is essential. The findings of this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of the functional properties of kombucha and provide scientific support for its safe and beneficial applications. Full article

Mezcal is a distilled beverage with a complex chemical profile defined by volatile organic compounds and physicochemical properties that determine its sensory attrib-utes. This study analyzed nine artisanal mezcals produced from four wild agave species in Oaxaca using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify key volatile compounds for traceability and quality control. A total of 82 volatile compounds were identified, with esters, terpenes, and higher alcohols being the most abundant. Eight key compounds, including ethyl acetate, acetic acid, 1-butanol, furfural, methanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol, were quantified due to their significant impact on mezcal’s quality and authenticity. Additionally, 1,2,3-trimethyl-benzene, nerolidol, and terpinolene were identified as exclusive compounds for differentiating mezcal by agave species and storage duration. The findings highlight the influence of fermentation, distillation, and storage conditions on mezcal’s chemical profile and demonstrate the importance of standardized analytical methods for product authentication. Proper management of variables during fermentation and optimization of the final distillation cuts is necessary to fully comply with regulatory parameters and ensure product quality. By establishing a catalog of compounds that characterize the mezcals, this study provides a scientific basis for improving quality control, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing the traceability of mezcal in high-value markets. The next step is to validate the key volatile compounds with a larger sample and evaluate their reproducibility under different production and storage conditions. Full article

Microbial fermentation is a primary method by which a variety of foods and beverages are produced. The term refers to the use of microbes such as bacteria, yeasts, and molds to transform carbohydrates into different substances. Fermentation is important for preserving, enhancing flavor, and improving the nutritional quality of various perishable foods. Historical records clearly show that fermented foods and drinks, such as wine, beer, and bread, have been consumed for more than 7000 years. The main microorganisms employed were Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which are predominantly used in alcohol fermentation, and Lactobacillus in dairy and vegetable fermentation. Typical fermented foods and drinks made from yogurt, cheese, beer, wine, cider, and pickles from vegetables are examples. Although there are risks of contamination and spoilage by pathogenic and undesirable microorganisms, advanced technologies and proper control procedures can mitigate these risks. This review addresses microbial fermentation and clarifies its past importance and contribution to food preservation, flavoring, and nutrition. It systematically separates yeasts, molds, and bacteria and explains how they are used in food products such as bread, yogurt, beer, and pickles. Larger producers employ primary production methods such as the artisanal approach, which are explored along with future trends such as solid-state fermentation, the potential of biotechnology in developing new products, and sustainability in new product development. Future research and development strategies can lead to innovations in methods that improve efficiency, product range, and sustainability. Full article

Despite the current appreciation of pulque as a probiotic fermented beverage, pulque has been also regarded as a poor-quality product, particularly due to the lack of sanitary control during its elaboration. To address this problem, a semi-continuous fermentation system was established, emulating the artisanal production process. Microfiltration-sterilized aguamiel was employed as the substrate, whereas a good-quality pulque was used as the fermentation inoculum. During the fermentation, the physicochemical, microbiological (lactic acid and Leuconostoc-type bacteria and yeasts) and sensory characteristics of the must were monitored. The isolated microorganisms were identified by molecular biology and MALDI-MS techniques. The sterilization of aguamiel by microfiltration did not negatively affect its physicochemical attributes. After 6–8 days of operation of the semi-continuous bioreactor, the fermentation reached a quasi-stationary state considering most of the parameters monitored during the experiment. The final fermentation product presented similar physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties to those of the pulque inoculum. The genera identified were Leuconostoc, Lentilactobacillus, Lactobacillus, Liquorilactobacillus, Fructilactobacillus and Saccharomyces. The strains Lentilactobacillus diolivorans and Liquorilactobacillus capillatus and uvarum have not been previously isolated from pulque. In conclusion, the fermentation system developed in this work was effective to standardize the quality of pulque while preserving the positive attributes of the artisanal process, thus harnessing the probiotic properties of pulque. Full article

Recently, “minor” cereals have been gaining interest due to their distinctive characteristics, not only in terms of nutritional and health potential, but also because of their hardiness. To date, the use of several of these cereals for the production, both at artisan and industrial level, of foods such as pasta and bakery products has already been well established, whereas their investigation for the production of malt and beer has been more limited. In this work, a preliminary analysis of the malting aptitude of einkorn, tritordeum, food-grade sorghum and teff was evaluated. Grain quality parameters that influence the processes of malting and transformation into alcoholic beverages were evaluated, i.e., thousand-kernel weight, test weight, total protein and starch content, falling number, germination capacity, germination energy and amylase activity. Grain analyses showed, on average, satisfactory values for alcoholic fermented beverage production in all the cereal species examined (mainly in tritordeum), whereas the amylase activity of the malts produced was lower than that revealed in barley malt. Fermented drinks derived from these minor cereals, therefore, could be interesting for the light and gluten-free beer markets. Full article

Mezcal is an alcoholic beverage obtained by distilling musts and juices fermented by spontaneous or cultivated microorganisms, which are extracted from ripe stems of cooked Agaves and harvested in Mexico. Both raw material and production practices differ markedly between producing regions, locations, and even factories, resulting in a very distinctive set of products. The state of Oaxaca is the top producer worldwide of mezcal, and 35,000 families are involved in the production of this aromatic alcoholic beverage. Fermentation is the most important stage of mezcal production and is performed by different yeast and bacteria. In this study, the yeast strains were isolated from fermentation containers of four mezcal factories (palenques) in Oaxaca. Taxonomic determination was verified by ITS, and an analysis of the biotechnological process through personal interviews and principal component analysis was performed. Eighteen different isolates of eight different genera (Candida, Clavispora, Meyerozyma, Metarhizium, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Torulaspora, and Yarrowia) were identified. According to the biotechnological process analysis and principal component analysis, the artisanal palenques (palenques 1, 3, and 4) are more like each other than and differ radically from palenque 2, which is where the artisanal process has changed towards technical production. Full article

Pulque is a traditional Mexican fermented beverage associated with numerous health benefits. Over time, there has been considerable interest in studying the bacterial diversity of pulque, and microbial characterization has been carried out using traditional microbiological and molecular methods. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize the microbiota of artisanal pulque obtained from the Zacatlán region in Puebla, México, by the means of Illumina sequencing, and to compare it with the microbial diversity of aguamiel (sap before fermentation), commercial pulque (supplemented with additives to increase its yield), and its seed (batch of pulque previously fermented). An analysis of the Shannon index showed medium diversity for both aguamiel and pulque samples (score > 2), while the Chao 1 index exhibited a non-significant difference between them. On the other hand, a principal components analysis confirmed the role of the seed as an essential inoculum to define the microbial diversity of pulque, emphasizing the importance of its preservation as a quality standard during the elaboration process. In addition, results showed that the dominant phyla in artisanal and commercial pulque were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. As the fermentation process progressed, it was possible to observe an increase in the population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in both types of pulque compared to those detected in aguamiel. Of these, the species Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Lactococcus represented almost 95% of the total LAB. Finally, even though the safety of pulque has been in question due to its non-aseptic manufacturing process, the present study confirmed that less than 1% of its microbiota corresponds to the genera with a pathogenic potential such as γ-proteobacteria (Enterobacter and Hafnia), which decreases as the fermentation process advances. Full article

The use of fruits and their by-products in food has dramatically impacted the food industry due to the nutritional benefits and the technological and sensory effects of food matrices. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of adding cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) pulp and flour on fermented milk beverages’ physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties during refrigerated storage (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days). Twelve formulations were realized with different percentages of cupuassu pulp (0, 5, 7.5, and 10% w/v) and flour (0, 1.5, and 3% w/v). The treatments with 3% cupuassu flour presented the highest percentages of protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrates, compared with the samples containing pulp. On the other hand, the addition of pulp increased water retention capacity and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and C*) and decreased pH and syneresis on day 0 of storage. During storage, the samples with pulp showed increases in pH values, consistency index, and apparent viscosity. In comparison, cupuassu flour addition decreased syneresis values and increased L* and b* during storage, as did pulp. In addition, sample HPHF (10% pulp and 3% cupuassu flour), based on just-about-right, penalty, and check-all-that-apply analyses, improved some sensory attributes of the fermented milk beverage, such as brown color, acid taste, bitter taste, cupuassu flavor, and firm texture. It can be concluded that cupuassu pulp and flour addition improves the physicochemical and sensory quality of fermented milk beverages and can provide nutritional value to the product. Full article

Fermented goat milk is an artisanal beverage with excellent nutritional properties. There are limited data on its physicochemical properties, fatty acids, phenolic acids, and on any insight on microbiota. The aim of this research was to conduct a pilot study to compare these parameters in raw cow and goat milk before and after spontaneous fermentation in a clay pot and glass container at 37 °C for 24 h. Both types of milk and fermentation containers significantly affected the pH, acidity, proximate composition, viscosity, and whiteness index of fermented milks. A total of 17 fatty acids were identified in fermented milks, where palmitic, stearic, and myristic were the main saturated acids, and oleic and linoleic acids were the main unsaturated ones. These profiles were primarily influenced by the type of raw milk used. Three to five phenolic acids were identified in fermented milks, where quinic acid was the major phenolic compound, and salviolinic acid was identified only in raw goat milk. Preliminary metataxonomic sequencing analysis showed that the genera Escherichia spp. and Streptococcus spp. were part of the microbiota of both fermented milks, with the first genus being the most abundant in fermented goat milk, and Streptococcus in cow’s milk. Moreover, Escherichia abundance was negatively correlated with the abundance of many genera, including Lactobacillus. Overall, the results of this pilot study showed significant variations between the physicochemical properties, the fatty and phenolic acids, and the microbial communities of goat and cow fermented milk, showing the opportunity to further investigate the tested parameters in fermented goat milk to promote its production. Full article

Traditional fermented foods are inherent to the human diet and represent an important part of the culture of each country. The fermentation process has been traditionally used as a method of food preservation. It allows modifying the technological, sensory, and nutritional attributes of raw ingredients. Latin America has a vast history with these products, but they are not always known worldwide. One of the most used microorganisms in fermented foods is lactic acid bacteria. This review aims to provide insight into the main attributes, benefits, and nutritional characteristics of traditional fermented foods and beverages from Latin America made with lactic acid bacteria. A bibliography analysis of the general aspects of fermented products from this region was carried out, focusing on the foods and beverages (with and without alcohol), their representation in native communities, nutritional value and effect on health, as well as the risk of their consumption. It is concluded that traditional fermented products of Latin America are usually prepared with specific ingredients of the region (such as cassava and corn), and that the lactic acid bacteria present in these foods are not always identifiable due to the inherent variability of artisanal production. The bacteria observed include Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Lactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus, and Weisella, among others. Full article

The alcoholic fermentation of jabuticaba berries (Plinia spp.) originates from a beverage with an intense taste and aroma, popularly known as jabuticaba wine (JW). In addition, polyphenols transferred from fruit peels to the final product turn this beverage into a promising source of bioactive agents. Here, the chemical profile and antioxidant potential of artisanal JW and derivative extracts were determined. Volatile organic compounds were determined by HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis. The wine was dried by lyophilization and subjected to liquid-liquid partitioning (water: ethyl acetate), resulting in three fractions (JWF1-3). ABTS^•+ and DPPH^•+ scavenging assays were performed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity. In addition, the extracts’ hematoprotective activity was evaluated against oxidative stress. Finally, the extracts were analyzed by LC-HRMS/MS. HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis highlighted 1,8-cineole as the main compound that contributes to the camphor/mint flavor. JWF2 and JWF3 displayed the highest antioxidant capacity. JWF2 stood out for preventing oxidative damage in red blood cells at 7.8 µg·mL⁻¹ The maximal protection of ascorbic acid occurred at 8.8 µg·mL⁻¹. The LC-HRMS/MS analysis allowed the annotation of seventeen compounds, most of them with recognized antioxidant activity such as anthocyanins, catechins, flavanols, and phenolic acids. The results presented herein reinforce JW as a pleasant beverage with bioactive potential. Full article

This study aims to analyze the chemical and microbial composition and characterize volatile compounds from the artisanal and commercial Tejuino beverage. For this, eight samples are analyzed (four artisanal and four commercial). The chemical and microbiological quality is determined by standard methods, and volatile compounds are determined by solid-phase microextraction. Overall, the physicochemical composition and microbiological quality are higher for artisanal Tejuino (p < 0.05). The pH values were 3.20 and 3.62, and 0.76 and 0.46 meq of lactic acid for artisanal and commercial Tejuino, respectively. With volatile compounds analyzed, esters, benzenes, and aldehydes were predominant; meanwhile, ethanol was a volatile compound with the highest concentration for all samples. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Limosilactobacillus fermentum were identified in artisanal Tejuino; yeasts of the Pichia genera and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, for commercial Tejuino, and Enterococcus genus were identified in both samples. The characterization of both types of Tejuino allows us to update the information available on this important Mexican beverage. In addition, the isolation of lactic acid bacteria, as representative bacteria of both drinks, offers an area of opportunity to know the potential functionality of these bacteria in traditional fermented products. Full article

Among artisanal fermented beverages, kefir (fermented milk drink) and water kefir (fermented nondairy beverage) are of special interest because their grains can be considered natural reservoirs of safe and potentially probiotic strains. In the last years, several reports on Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (formerly Lactobacillus paracasei) isolated from both artisanal fermented beverages were published focusing on their health-promoting properties. Although this is not the predominant species in kefir or water kefir, it may contribute to the health benefits associated to the consumption of the fermented beverage. Since the classification of L. paracasei has been a difficult task, the selection of an adequate method for identification, which is essential to avoid mislabeling in products, publications, and some publicly available DNA sequences, is discussed in the present work. The last findings in health promoting properties of L. paracasei and the bioactive compounds are described and compared to strains isolated from kefir, providing a special focus on exopolysaccharides as effector molecules. The knowledge of the state of the art of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei from kefir and water kefir can help to understand the contribution of these microorganisms to the health benefits of artisanal beverages as well as to discover new probiotic strains for applications in food industry. Full article

Artisanal kefir is a traditional fermented dairy product made using kefir grains. Kefir has documented natural antimicrobial activity and health benefits. A typical kefir microbial community includes lactic acid bacteria (LAB), acetic acid bacteria, and yeast among other species in a symbiotic matrix. In the presented work, the 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to reveal bacterial populations and elucidate the diversity and abundance of LAB species in international artisanal kefirs from Fusion Tea, Britain, the Caucuses region, Ireland, Lithuania, and South Korea. Bacterial species found in high abundance in most artisanal kefirs included Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lentilactobacillus kefiri,Lactobacillus ultunensis, Lactobacillus apis, Lactobacillus gigeriorum, Gluconobacter morbifer, Acetobacter orleanensis, Acetobacter pasteurianus, Acidocella aluminiidurans, and Lactobacillus helveticus. Some of these bacterial species are LAB that have been reported for their bacteriocin production capabilities and/or health promoting properties. Full article