Lactic Acid Bacteria from Andean Grain Amaranth: A Source of Vitamins and Functional Value Enzymes

Abstract

Amaranth is a rediscovered pseudocereal with high nutritional properties. Lactic acid fermentation can increase the functional and nutritional value of foods. The aims of this study were to isolate and evaluate the functionality of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from amaranth. LAB strains (n = 29) isolated from amaranth sourdough and grains included Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum (n = 8), L. rhamnosus (n = 6), Enterococcus (E.) mundtii (n = 4), E. hermanniensis (n = 3), E. durans (n = 1), Enterococcus sp. (n = 1), Leuconostoc (Lc.) mesenteroides (n = 3), and Lc. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides (n = 3). Only 21% of the strains showed the ability to synthesize capsular exopolysaccharides or display ropiness and only 8 strains showed amylolytic activity. L. plantarum CRL 2106 and E. durans CRL 2122 showed the highest phytase activity, which is of importance for mineral bioavailability. L. plantarum CRL 2106 and CRL 2107 and Lc. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides CRL 2131 synthesized the highest concentrations of B₂ and B₉ vitamin (140-250 ng/mL). This study demonstrates the potential of LAB to improve the nutritional and functional values of pseudocereal-derived foods.

Partial characterization and purification of phytase from Lactobacillus plantarum CRL1964 isolated from pseudocereals

“…Intracellular and/or cell wall linked phytase activity was reported in L. brevis, L. curvatus, L. acidophilus [32] and L. fermentum [16]. Carrizo et al [23,24] reported that some LAB (Lactobacillus and Enterococcus strains) showed high phytase activity when grown in Chalmers broth [33] with sodium phytate 1% (w/v). On the basis of our results, L. plantarum CRL1964 was selected for further studies as it had a high phytase intracellular activity and growth.…”

“…LAB strains (n = 73, Table S1) isolated from grains and spontaneous sourdough of quinoa and amaranth [23,24], which belong to the Culture Collection of the Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CRL; CERELA-CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina, were used in this study.…”

“…In recent years, many phosphatases and phytases of LAB (L. fermentum [16]; L. sanfranciscensis [19]; L. pentosus [20,21]; L. coryniformis [22]) isolated from different sources, have been purified and characterized. In previous studies, LAB microbiota of grains and spontaneous sourdough of quinoa and amaranth was evaluated [23,24]. The aims of this study were to select LAB, isolated from pseudocereals, with phytase activity; characterize the enzyme production (effect of carbon and phosphorus sources, pH value), and activity (effect of pH, temperature, stability, chemical compounds) and to purify the enzyme.…”

Lactic Acid Fermentation of Cereals and Pseudocereals: Ancient Nutritional Biotechnologies with Modern Applications

“…They are usually found in milk and dairy products but can be isolated from plant or animal sources-leaves, fruits, roots, faeces and compost [19]. They widely participate in cereal fermented products [6][7][8]17,18,22], as well as in spontaneously fermented amaranth, quinoa and chia sourdoughs [48][49][50][51][52].…”

Vitamin Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria as Complementary Treatments for Intestinal Inflammation

“…It has been shown that LAB can produce folates, riboflavina and even vitamin B12 and that this production is a straindependent trait [7]. Vitamin producing strains have been isolated from numerous ecological niches that include the human gastrointestinal tract, animal milks (including humans, dogs and horses), fermented foods (corn, potatoes, milks), flours and grains [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. These vitamin-producing strains have traditionally been used for the development of novel biofortified foods that could be used as an alternative to fortification with chemically synthesized or purified derivatives of vitamins.…”