Along with heat treatment, Smoking and drying in the sun, one of the oldest ways to preserve food is fermentation (fermentation). Fermented foods appeared long before people learned about the existence of microorganisms, and entered the traditional diet of almost all cultures. Currently, the production of salted, fermented and wetted products is an important segment of the food industry. The rate of reproduction of microorganisms in foods is affected by several factors including properties of the products (nutrient content, pH value, oxidation-reduction (redox) potential, water activity, etc.) and external factors, including storage conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity. Preservation of food products is usually based on the destruction of microorganisms or control of their reproduction and the overall composition of the microbiota. Reducing the rate or preventing microbiological spoilage of food is based on four main principles: minimization of product contamination by microorganisms; suppression of growth and reproduction of micro-organisms-contaminants; destruction of micro-organisms-contaminants; removal of micro-organisms-contaminants. Fermentation is based on a combination of the first three principles and is achieved by creating conditions for the growth of specific microorganisms that can give food the desired taste, aroma, texture and appearance. This review is devoted to the scientific aspects of vegetable fermentation, including the use of bacterial starter cultures. The characteristics of lactic acid microorganisms are given, the basic principles and advantages of the process of fermentation of vegetables and the biochemical processes taking place at the same time are given and described, the advantages of the use of bacterial starter cultures (strains of lactic acid microorganisms) for the purpose of improving the quality of the finished product are described.

No abstract

Relevance. The use of certain single or mixed cultures of lactic acid microorganisms and the mandatory control of the fermentation process of white cabbage are of great importance to ensure that the product is of stable quality without the need for any chemical preservatives or harsh processing conditions. Carbohydrates contained in raw materials play an important role in this process, since carbohydrates are the main source of maintaining the viability of lactic acid microorganisms. By adjusting the carbohydrate component of raw materials at different stages of fermentation, it is possible to maintain a high titer of microorganisms, while obtaining not only a high-quality product, but also giving it, along with prebiotic (a source of fiber) and probiotic properties. Materials and methods. The purpose of this research work was to ensure the direction of the biotechnological process in the direction of stabilization of the concentration of functional microflora (starting systems of lactic acid microorganisms), under the influence of introduced carbohydrate nutrients. In this work, we studied two fermentation systems of microorganisms that are fundamental microorganisms in the fermentation of cabbage, namely, systems consisting of a pre-fermentation culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and one of the cultures of lactobacilli: Lactobacillus plantarum or Lactobacillus brevis. The study used the usual microbiological method for determining the number of microorganisms by seeding in an agarized culture medium, as well as processing experimental data. Results. As a result, we found that the introduction of a carbohydrate Supplement allows us to stabilize the dynamics of changes in the concentration of the studied starting systems at the same initial level throughout the main stage of fermentation.

Relevance. Fermentation of cabbage is a common way of processing, which allows to preserve and strengthen its useful qualities. To date, breeders have proposed a significant number of varieties and hybrids of cabbage, each of which has its own individual biochemical characteristics. Traditional sauerkraut is carried out after harvest. Long storage can affect the change in the content of organic acids and sugars in cabbage.Methods. The aim of the work was to study the parameters of the fermentation process of eight varieties and hybrids of cabbage by selection in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center by the intensity of sugar reduction, accumulation of organic acids, organoleptic parameters and activity of lactic acid microorganisms. Fermentation was carried out after a 5-month period of storage of heads.Results. The results showed that the storage period did not affect the fermentation result of most of the studied varieties and hybrids of cabbage. There are varietal differences in the initial content of mono-and disaccharides, organic acids, which affected the fermentation process. The increased content of malic acid in the variety population Podarok, F1 Severyanka contributed to the slowdown of the first stage of fermentation. Varietal features of the Parus population contributed to the slowdown of the first and second stages of fermentation, which was manifested in a decrease in the rate of destruction of sugars. Variety Zymovka 1474 in the process of processing by fermentation accumulates a significant amount of succinic acid, which can characterize its special difference among the studied varieties and hybrids. The best organoleptic characteristics were distinguished by hybrids of fermented cabbage F1 Likova, F1 Natali, F1 Mechta and F1 Snezhinka. The results of the study suggest that the processing of cabbage by fermentation should take into account its individual varietal biochemical features. This will not only preserve the valuable nutritional properties of the cabbage itself, but also strengthen them by optimizing the natural process of lactic acid fermentation. The result will be the best organoleptic effect achieved by an optimal combination of lactic and citric acids and mono-sugars.

Relevance. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc fallaxare the three main lactic acid bacteria developing in the production of sauerkraut. The process of production of fermented foods, as well as their characteristics are determined by the fermenting activity of microorganisms used. Many food products (matured cheeses, sauerkraut, etc.) are canned products: for them, the term is significantly increased compared to the shelf life of the raw material from which these products are made. Their characteristic feature is not only high stability during storage, but also a pronounced flavor bouquet, due to the direct or indirect action of fermenting microorganisms.Material and methods. Microbiological methods of preserving fruits and vegetables are based on the formation of natural preservatives – lactic acid and alcohol, which accumulate as a result of fermentation of sugars by lactic acid bacteria or yeast. The intensity of lactic acid fermentation and the amount of accumulated lactic acid depend on several conditions: the presence of lactic acid bacteria, the content of sugars and other chemicals in the raw material, the addition of spice-aromatic plants, anaerobic conditions, temperature. Due to the accumulation of lactic acid, the development of other microorganisms, and then the lactic acid bacteria themselves, is suspended. The dynamics of development of lactic acid microorganisms and their consortia on the model media, pretreated by the culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides species, at the main stage of step fermentation of white cabbage of the "Parus"variety are investigated.Results. Dynamics of development of monocultures of L. brevis, L. casei and L. plantarum and their paired consortia at the main technological stage at two stages of fermentation are investigated. It is established that a preliminary fermentation of a model medium with a culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides generates adverse conditions for the development of L. brevis and L. casei in the monoculture (pseudotensorial) and in consortium with each other, but favorable conditions for the development of L. plantarum in pseudotensorial and in pairwise combinations with L. brevis and L. casei.