TITLE:
Lactic Acid Fermentation of Peppers
AUTHORS:
Maria Rosa Alberto, Maria Francisca Perera, Mario Eduardo Arena
KEYWORDS:
Fermentation; Lactic Acid Bacteria; Peppers; Capsicum annum
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.4 No.11A,
November
6,
2013
ABSTRACT: Different
peppers fermentations (Capsicum annum, grossum variety) were assayed: spontaneous, native microflora supplemented individually with Lactobacillus plantarum N8, Leuconostoc mesentereroides L. or Pediococcus pentosaceus 12p and by pure
or combined cultures of these lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In order to eliminate
the native flora, different kinds of heat treatment were assayed. The treatment
selected was heating in autoclaved after research 3/4 atmosphere and to turn
off. Fermentations were carried out at 22?C and 30?C and the culture media contained 2% or 0.2% glucose and 4% NaCl. Sugar consumption, pH reduction and acid
production were higher at 30℃ than at 22℃. At both temperatures, spontaneous fermentation showed a slower rate
reduction in pH than inoculated samples. Diminution in pH in presence of 2%
glucose was faster than at 0.2%, but minimum pH was in both case lower than
3.0. Maximum growth was reached between 2 and 5 days of fermentation in all the
samples assayed. After 30 days of incubation in presence of 2% glucose the
survival of LAB was nearly 5 log ufc/ml. The survival was higher at the lower
temperature assayed for both glucose concentrations. Organoleptic properties of
peppers fermented with a mixed culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Pediococcus pentosaceus were found best by a human panel. This sample has a relation lactic acid/acetic acid of
nearly 3 in
the conditions assayed.