Search Results (3)

By-products from different industries could represent an available source of carbon and nitrogen which could be used for bioethanol production using conventional Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Spent cherry brine and whey are acid food by-products which have a high organic matter content and toxic compounds, and their discharges represent significant environmental and economic challenges. In this study, different combinations of urea, yeast concentrations, and whey as a nutrient source were tested for bioethanol production scale-up using 96-well microplates as well as 7.5 L to 100 L bioreactors. For bioethanol production in vials, the addition of urea allowed increasing the bioethanol yield by about 10%. Bioethanol production in the 7.5 L and 100 L bioreactors was 73.2 g·L⁻¹ and 103.5 g·L⁻¹ with a sugar consumption of 81.5% and 94.8%, respectively, using spent cherry brine diluted into whey (200 g·L⁻¹ of total sugars) supplemented with 0.5 g·L⁻¹ urea and 0.5 g·L⁻¹ yeast at 30 °C and a pH of 5.0 after 96 h of fermentation for both systems. The results allow these by-products to be considered low-economic-value alternatives for fuel- or food-grade bioethanol production. Full article

Six cultivars of chili (Cherry, Bulgarian Chilli, Cayenne, Fatalii, Habanero, and Carolina Reaper) from two species (Capsicum annuum and Capsicum chinense) have been studied. Anaerobic, spontaneous fermentation of pure chili paste was conducted for 21 days at 20 °C. The unfermented (UCP) and fermented chili pastes (FCP) were both subjected to physicochemical and microbiological characterization consisting of capsaicinoid, ascorbic acid, short-chain organic acids, phenolic compounds, and simple sugars analysis. Cell viability for Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Leuconostoc was determined before and after fermentation. Results indicate that capsaicinoids are very stable compounds, as notable differences between unfermented and fermented samples could not be seen. Carolina Reaper and Fatalii cultivars were amongst the most pungent, whereas Cherry, Cayenne, and Bulgarian types were low to moderate in pungency. Average loss of total ascorbic acid was 19.01%. Total phenolic compounds ranged between 36.89–195.43 mg/100 g for the fresh fruits and 35.60–180.40 mg/100 g for the fermented product. Losses through fermentation were not significant (p < 0.05). Plate counts indicated low initial numbers for LAB in the fresh samples, values ranging between 50–3700 CFU/g (colony-forming units). After fermentation, day 21, concentration of LAB (3.8 × 10⁶–6.2 × 10⁸ CFU/g) was high in all samples. Fermented chilies paste with enhanced biochemical and bacterial properties might further be used in the technology of vegetable (brining) or meat (curing) products, processes that generally involve the fermenting activity of different microorganisms, especially (LAB). Thus, the purpose of this research was the investigation of biochemical and microbial transformations that naturally occur in fermented chilies with a future perspective towards technological applications in cured meat products. Full article

In this study, the potential of sour cherry and plum juices was evaluated to be used in the traditional marination of meat. Slices of pork loin were marinated for 24 h in brine of 3% NaCl or sour cherry and plum juice marinades containing 60% fruit juice while the control group consisted of non-marinated meat slices. Proximate composition, marinating loss, cooking loss, drip loss, and water-holding capacity of samples was evaluated. Changes in surface meat color (L*, a*, and b* values), pH, ammonia content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were monitored in pork loins during 12 days of refrigerated storage. Sensory evaluation was also conducted. There was a significant decrease in pH, moisture content, and water-holding capacity of raw meat due to fruit juice marination, resulting in marination losses and higher cooking losses compared with the control and brine-marinated samples. During cold storage, marination with sour cherry and plum juices was found to slow down the increase in TBARS values and ammonia content and the decrease in all meat sensory scores. Thus, sour cherry and plum juices may be used as marinating ingredients as they promote interesting sensory properties and improve the storage stability of pork loin. Full article