Application of Lactobacillus paracasei LPC02 and lactulose as a potential symbiotic system in the manufacture of dry-fermented sausage

Sensory profile and technological characterization of boneless dry-cured ham with lactulose added as a prebiotic

“…Moreover, considering that during the drying process the products lost approximately 40% of their mass, mainly by the evaporation of water, an increase in the solute concentration was expected and consequently an increase in the lactulose content. This difference was also observed by Lima et al [5] in dry-cured hams (1.44%) and by Coelho et al [6] in fermented sausage (1.27%) with 2% lactulose added. These authors suggested that these differences indicate a possible use of lactulose as a source of carbon by lactic acid bacteria, since lactulose has been reported as one of the most effective substrates for the growth of all eight strains of Lactobacillus [25,26].…”

“…The effects of lactulose addition on the technological characteristics of boneless dry-cured hams are described in Table 2. The control treatment presented residual values of this disaccharide, probably due to interference from the aldoses present [17], such as the added glucose, or even an intrinsic analytical variation of the method itself, especially in the extraction step [6]. Other authors have also observed residual values of lactulose in dry-cured ham (0.17%) [5] and fermented sausage (0.37%) [6] samples that were not from the addition of this prebiotic.…”

“…This amount could almost be achieved with two servings of dry-cured ham formulated with 4% lactulose. Moreover, as pointed out by Coelho et al [6], considering the low daily consumption of these products, there is no expectation of these being used as a single source of fibre in the diet but rather that they may contribute to the daily consumption of this type of ingredient.…”

“…Recently, some researchers suggested the use of lactulose as a functional ingredient in meat products, such as cooked hams [4], dry-cured hams [5] and fermented sausages [6]. Lactulose is a disaccharide consisting of glucose and fructose (4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-fructose), which is neither metabolized nor absorbed in the small intestine, and thus, it is available for bacteria in the large intestine, where it is metabolized preferentially by bifidobacteria and lactobacilli [7].…”

“…In addition to contributing to human health, products with functional claims need to have commercial value, and therefore, the main requirements remain the same as for any other meat product; the sensory and technological aspects of the final product must be satisfactory [6]. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the sensory profile and technological characterization of boneless dry-cured hams, based on the process of Lima et al [5], with higher contents of lactulose added as a prebiotic source.…”