Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Biochemical Agents Enrich the Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum (L.) Sendt)

Abstract

This work analyzed the individual and combined effects of biochemical additives and probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on red and yellow fresh-cut bell pepper (R- and Y-FCBP, respectively) stored at two different temperatures (4 °C and 15 °C) for 15 days. The results revealed that the combined application of biochemical additives and L. rhamnosus GG inhibited the colonization of total bacterial counts (25.10%), total Salmonella counts (38.32%), total Listeria counts (23.75%), and total fungal counts (61.90%) in FCBP. Total bacterial colonization was found to be higher in R-FCBP (1188.09 ± 9.25 CFU g−1) than Y-FCBP (863.96 ± 7.21 CFU g−1). The storage at 4 °C was prevented 35.38% of microbial colonization in FCBP. Importantly, the L. rhamnosus GG count remained for up to 12 days. Moreover, the combined inoculation of the biochemical additives and L. rhamnosus GG treatments (T3) maintained the quality of R- and Y-FCBP for up to 12 days at 4 °C without any loss of antioxidant properties. This work reports the successful utilization of L. rhamnosus GG as a preservative agent for maintaining the quality of FCBP by preventing microbial colonization.

Complete Replacement of Nitrite With a Lactobacillus fermentum on the Quality and Safety of Chinese Fermented Sausages

“…Moreover, LAB have many other functions, including regulating the intestinal flora, improving immunity, lowering cholesterol, etc. ( Khalique et al, 2020 ; Saravanakumar et al, 2020 ). Therefore, the inoculation of LAB in foods has great value to improve food nutrition and protect human health ( Sharafedtinov et al, 2013 ; Tu et al, 2018 ).…”

Lactic Acid Bacteria—Ensuring a Safe, Healthy Food Supply for Humankind since the Dawn of Our Civilization

“…The research presented in this publication focuses on innovative uses of LAB fermentations sourced from traditional techniques that have been underexplored in mainstream industry. Studies on the fermentation of both dairy (yogurt) [ 4 ] and non-dairy (meats, sausages, bell peppers, and several plant-based fermented drinks) [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] products by lactobacilli were presented, highlighting the preservative potential, the antimicrobial properties, the impact on the product’s antioxidant activity and the overall probiotic potential associated with this group of bacteria. The hefty trove of research on the effects of LAB on olive fermentation and on human health is summarized in two review papers [ 11 , 12 ], aimed at presenting the state-of-the-art in these areas.…”