Characterization of lactobacilli isolated from caper berry fermentations.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the metabolic and functional properties of lactobacilli isolated from caper fermentation.


RESULTS
A collection of 58 lactobacilli from fermentation of caper berries (including species of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus paraplantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus fermentum) was studied. Strains were classified in different clusters according to sugar fermentation patterns. Most strains of L. plantarum (the predominant species in the fermentation) clustered in a single group. Analysis of enzymatic activities revealed a high incidence of leucine aminopeptidase, acid phosphatase, beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase among the different strains of lactobacilli. A high number of strains were able to degrade raffinose and stachyose. Phytase activity and bile salt hydrolase activity were only detected in certain strains of L. plantarum.


CONCLUSIONS
Lactobacilli from caper fermentation are metabolically diverse, and some strains display functional properties of interest.


CONCLUSIONS
Strains of lactobacilli with selected functional properties could be good candidates for future development of commercial starters for industrial caper fermentation.
Pulido
R Pérez
RP
Area de Microbiología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain.
Omar
N Ben
NB
Abriouel
H
H
López
R Lucas
RL
Cañamero
M Martínez
MM
Guyot
J-P
JP
Gálvez
A
A
D010832:6-Phytase / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D031484:Capparis; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004063:Digestion; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism
D000596:Amino Acids; D002364:Caseins; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D010832:6-Phytase; D000681:Amylases