Using Tropical Fruit Waste to Boost Probiotic Health and Functionality

Jim Crocker
23rd July, 2024

Using Tropical Fruit Waste to Boost Probiotic Health and Functionality

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study by the Federal University of Paraíba explored using acerola, cashew, and guava fruit coproducts to support probiotic growth
  • Probiotics grown in these fruit coproducts had high viable counts and a short lag phase during 24 hours of cultivation
  • These fruit coproducts helped probiotics survive freeze-drying and maintain viability during 120 days of refrigerated storage
  • Probiotics cultivated in fruit coproducts showed better survival and metabolic activity during simulated gastrointestinal digestion
Probiotics, beneficial bacteria that promote health, must withstand various stress conditions to be effective. These stresses, encountered during processing, storage, and gastrointestinal passage, can impact the viability and functionality of probiotics. The Federal University of Paraíba conducted a study[1] to evaluate the potential of using acerola (CACE), cashew (CCAS), and guava (CGUA) fruit processing coproducts as substrates to support the growth, metabolite production, and viability of probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-05 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L-10 during cultivation, freeze-drying, storage, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The study found that probiotic lactobacilli grown in CACE, CCAS, and CGUA presented high viable counts (≥8.8 log CFU/mL) and a short lag phase during 24 hours of cultivation. These fruit coproducts promoted sugar consumption, medium acidification, and production of organic acids over time. Additionally, the cultivation in fruit coproducts increased the levels of several phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. This suggests a dual benefit: maintaining probiotic viability and enhancing the nutritional profile of the final product. The protective effects of fruit coproducts were evident during freeze-drying and storage. Probiotics cultivated in these substrates had increased survival percentages after freeze-drying and maintained viability during 120 days of refrigerated storage. Furthermore, when exposed to simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the probiotics cultivated and freeze-dried in fruit coproducts showed larger subpopulations of live and metabolically active cells. These findings expand on earlier research. A previous study[2] demonstrated that coproducts from tropical fruits like acerola, cashew, and guava protected probiotics during freeze-drying and storage, highlighting the potential of these substrates to enhance probiotic stability. The current study confirms and extends these results by showing that these coproducts also support probiotic growth and metabolic activity during cultivation and gastrointestinal passage. Moreover, the study aligns with another research[3] that emphasized the importance of probiotics remaining viable to confer health benefits. The ability of fruit coproducts to maintain high viable counts and metabolic activity of probiotics under various stress conditions is crucial for their effectiveness. Additionally, the study's findings are consistent with research[4] that explored alternative nitrogen sources to support the growth and freeze-stability of probiotics. Both studies highlight the importance of optimizing growth conditions to enhance probiotic viability and functionality. In conclusion, the research conducted by the Federal University of Paraíba demonstrates that fruit processing coproducts like acerola, cashew, and guava can effectively support the growth, viability, and metabolic activity of probiotics. This innovative approach not only improves the stability and efficacy of probiotic cultures but also adds value to agroindustrial by-products, promoting a circular economy.

FruitsSustainabilityBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Exploiting tropical fruit processing coproducts as circular resources to promote the growth and maintain the culturability and functionality of probiotic lactobacilli.

Published 22nd July, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2024.104596

Related Studies

2) Protective Effects of Tropical Fruit Processing Coproducts on Probiotic Lactobacillus Strains during Freeze-Drying and Storage.

https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8010096

3) Exploring the relationship between exposure to technological and gastrointestinal stress and probiotic functional properties of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

https://doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2016-0186

4) The impact of alternative nitrogen sources on the growth and viability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus.

https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-21971


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