Preparation of rice fermented food using root of Asparagus racemosus as herbal starter and assessment of its nutrient profile

Abstract

Graphic abstract The popularity of traditional fermented food products is based on their healthiness. The addition of a starter brings consistent, desirable, and predictable food changes with improved nutritive, functional, and sensory qualities. The addition of a mixture of plant residues as a starter or source of microbes is an age-old practice to prepare traditional fermented food and beverages, and most of the reported data on traditional foods were based on the analysis of the final product. The contribution of an individual starter component (plant residue) is not experimentally substantiated for any traditional fermented food, but this data are very essential for the formulation of an effective starter. In this study, Asparagus racemosus , which used as a common ingredient of starter for preparation of rice fermented food in the Indian sub-continent, was used as a starter for the preparation of rice fermented food under laboratory scale, and its microbial and nutrient profile was evaluated. The fermented product was a good source of lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium sp., yeast, etc. The food product was acidic and enriched with lactic acid and acetic acid with titratable acidity of 0.65%. The content of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins (water-soluble) was considerably improved. Most notably, oligosaccharide (G3-matotriose), unsaturated fatty acids (ω3, ω6, ω7, and ω9), and a pool of essential and non-essential amino acids were enriched in the newly formulated food. Thus, the herbal starter-based rice fermented food would provide important macro- and micronutrients. They could also deliver large numbers of active microorganisms for the sustainability of health. Therefore, the selected plant part conferred its suitability as an effective starter for the preparation of healthier rice-based food products.

Antiobesity, Antihyperglycemic, and Antidepressive Potentiality of Rice Fermented Food Through Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota

“…Only 20% (w/w) of fermented food was supplemented along with animal diet, and this dose was selected on the basis of a number of viable microbes and to nullify the impact of nutrients. The newly formulated food consisted of a number of microorganisms such as mold, yeast, and a diverse range of bacterial genera ( Hor et al, 2021 ). High-throughput metataxonomics analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed a quite high range of bacterial diversity in our prepared fermented food sample with the most abundant OTUs of Lactobacillus sp.…”

“…The reactive metabolites synthesized by these healthier bacteria seemed to restrict the growth of Clostridium sp., E. coli , and other LPS-producing pathogenic bacteria in the gut. A consortium of food-grade microbes, oligosaccharides, and other nutraceuticals was already reported in fermented foods ( Hor et al, 2021 ). Hence, its supplementation (in HFDT group) led to a significant change in overall gut microbiota structure and partially ameliorated HFD-induced dysbiosis.…”

“…The rhizome of A. racemosus was collected from natural forest of the Jangalmahal area of West Bengal, India, and was washed with sterile water and dried under sunlight. The root dust (0.5%, w/w) was further mixed with boiled rice and fermented at 37°C for 4 days ( Hor et al, 2021 ). The fermented product was considered as a test sample (Ts).…”

“…Fermented food contains a diverse group of food-grade microorganisms, some of which are genetically similar to probiotics strains ( Marco et al, 2017 ). Very recently, we have reported that Asparagus racemosus -based rice fermented food is a good source of lactic acid bacteria, Bifidobacterium sp., yeast, etc., enriched with lactic acid, acetic acid, adequate protein, fat, minerals, vitamins (water-soluble), oligosaccharide (G3-maltotriose), unsaturated fatty acids (ω3, ω6, ω7, and ω9), and a pool of essential and non-essential amino acids ( Hor et al, 2021 ).…”

Asparagus (Asparagus racemosus L.) roots: nutritional profile, medicinal profile, preservation, and value addition

“…This newly developed food product enhances the oligosaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, and a range of essential and non‐essential amino acids. It also provides a good amount of protein, minerals, fat, water‐soluble vitamins, and macro‑ and micronutrients with an abundance of active microbes for long‐term health 112 …”