Search Results (3)

The manufacture of fermented milk products has a long history, and these products were initially produced either from spontaneous fermentation or using a batch of previously produced product, that is, back-slopping. Milk of different mammal species has traditionally been used for the manufacture of fermented milk products. Cow’s milk is the basis for most dairy fermented products around the world. Milk from other mammals, including sheep, goat, camel, mare, buffalo, and yak may have been historically more important and remain so in certain regions. The milks from different species have differences in chemical composition and in certain, vital for the fermentation, components. The diversity of fermented milk products is further influenced by the wide variety of manufacturing practices. A great number of fermented dairy products have been traditionally produced worldwide, and many of them are still produced either following the same traditional process or manufactured industrially, using standardized processes under controlled conditions with specified starter cultures. The evolution from traditional to industrial production, their specific regional differences, their special characteristics, and the microbiological aspects of fermented dairy products are discussed. Throughout the evolution of fermented milk products, functional and therapeutic properties have been attributed to certain components and thus, yogurts and fermented milks have gained a significant market share. These products have gained wide global recognition as they meet consumers’ expectations for health-promoting and functional foods. The exploitation of microbiological methods based on DNA (or RNA) extraction and recently high-throughput techniques allowed for the accurate identification of the microbiota of fermented milk products. These techniques have revealed the significance of the properties of the autochthonous microbes and provided novel insights into the role of the microbiota in the functional and organoleptic properties of many fermented milk products. Full article

In order to explore whether beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could prolong the shelf life and improve the quality of fresh-cut apples, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BX62, which was isolated from traditional fermented yak yogurt, and chitosan (CT), were applied to fresh-cut apples, subsequently stored at 4 °C. On days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8, apple slices were taken for physicochemical, microbiological analysis, and sensory evaluation. The results showed that apple slices coated with L. plantarum BX62 (8 log CFU/mL) presented lower weight loss and browning rate, higher DPPH scavenging capacity, and achieved more effective inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities compared to the control samples. The application of CT alone or in combination with L. plantarum BX62 resulted in a significant reduction in aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), aerobic psychrophilic bacterial (APB), yeast and molds (YAMs) counts (2.31 log CFU/g for AMB, 2.55 for APB, and 1.58 for YAMs). In addition, L. plantarum BX62 coated apples showed acceptable sensory properties in terms of color, flavor, taste, texture, and overall visual quality during 8 d of storage. On this basis, L. plantarum BX62 could be used as an excellent bio-preservative to extend the shelf life and improve the quality of fresh-cut apples. Full article

The aim of this study is to assess the preventive effects of Lactobacillus fermentum HY01 (LF-HY01) to dextran sulfate sodium induced-colitis. We observed the ratio of colon weight to its length, colon pathological changes, and the concentrations of pro-inflammatory factors (IFN-γ, IL-12, TNFα, and IL-6) in serum. We also took account of the protein levels of IκBα, NF-κB p65, iNOS, and COX-2, and we measured the best effects of different doses of Lactobacillus fermentum HY01 (low dose group was 10⁹ CFU/kg·bw, high dose group was 10¹⁰ CFU/kg·bw) on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mice. The results were remarkable, suggesting that Lactobacillus fermentum HY01 had significant preventive effects in dextran sulfate sodium induced-colitis; simultaneously, the high dose group showed the best results among other groups. It can effectively alleviate the shortened colon length, reduce the ratio of colon weight to its length, reduce edema, inflammatory cells infiltration, and colon mucosa injury, and play an important role in the down-regulation of concentrations of pro-inflammatory factors (IFN-γ, IL-12, TNFα, and IL-6). Above all, Lactobacillus fermentum HY01 shows promising prevention for IκBα degradation, inhibition of NF-κB p65 phosphorylation cascades, and decreases the protein levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well. Full article