Publicação
Evaluation of the prebiotic potential of akpan : a cereal-based fermented product and a by-product of cassava beer
| Resumo: | Cereal-based fermented foods are widely consumed worldwide, especially in many African countries. Generally, these contain health-promoting compounds beyond traditional nutrients. Akpan is a traditional fermented product made from cereal starch, maize and/or sorghum, and consumed as a thirst-quenching beverage in Benin. Nowadays, all major brewers in Africa partially replace imported barley by other local crops, because they are cheaper and close produced. Due to the high content in carbohydrates and starch in cassava, this crop is a suitable alternative in brewing industry. During the brewing process by-products are generated, and one of these is brewers’ spent cassava (BSC), a lignocellulosic material rich in fibre and in protein. Currently, the importance of human intestinal microbiota in maintaining the host health is well-known. One of the strategies to stimulate the proliferation of beneficial intestinal bacteria is the consumption of prebiotics. Currently, there is a range of prebiotic carbohydrates on the market, but there is an increasing interest in the development of new prebiotics. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, prebiotic potential of Akpan and BSG. In order to accomplish this objective an in vitro fermentation of Akpan and BSG using as inoculum single probiotic strains (Lactobacillus casei L431, Lactobacillus casei L01, Bifidobacterium lactis B94 and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb12) and faecal samples from three healthy donors was performed. In this latter case, the prebiotic activity was assessed through the quantification of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, the evolution of the pH value and the dynamic bacterial population by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Results demonstrated that Akpan and BSC was metabolized after 44 h of fermentation, exerting a prebiotic effect, similar to that observed for fructooligosaccharides (FOS). All the considered bacterial groups significantly increased after Akpan, BSC and FOS fermentation, however it was observed that Akpan and BSC promoted a stronger effect on the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli than FOS. Under the tested conditions, it was observed that BSC have a higher production of SCFA, while no significant differences between the SCFA concentration produced by Akpan and FOS were observed, however the SCFA profile was different. The results obtained contribute to support the utilization of Akpan as a functional food and BSC as a potential functional ingredient with potential beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. |
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| Autores principais: | Pereira, Miguel Fernando Ribeiro |
| Assunto: | Akpan Cereal Functional food Prebiotic Brewers’ spent cassava Cereais Alimentos funcionais Prebióticos Resíduo de mandioca |
| Ano: | 2018 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Veritati - Repositório Institucional da Universidade Católica Portuguesa |
| Resumo: | Cereal-based fermented foods are widely consumed worldwide, especially in many African countries. Generally, these contain health-promoting compounds beyond traditional nutrients. Akpan is a traditional fermented product made from cereal starch, maize and/or sorghum, and consumed as a thirst-quenching beverage in Benin. Nowadays, all major brewers in Africa partially replace imported barley by other local crops, because they are cheaper and close produced. Due to the high content in carbohydrates and starch in cassava, this crop is a suitable alternative in brewing industry. During the brewing process by-products are generated, and one of these is brewers’ spent cassava (BSC), a lignocellulosic material rich in fibre and in protein. Currently, the importance of human intestinal microbiota in maintaining the host health is well-known. One of the strategies to stimulate the proliferation of beneficial intestinal bacteria is the consumption of prebiotics. Currently, there is a range of prebiotic carbohydrates on the market, but there is an increasing interest in the development of new prebiotics. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, prebiotic potential of Akpan and BSG. In order to accomplish this objective an in vitro fermentation of Akpan and BSG using as inoculum single probiotic strains (Lactobacillus casei L431, Lactobacillus casei L01, Bifidobacterium lactis B94 and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb12) and faecal samples from three healthy donors was performed. In this latter case, the prebiotic activity was assessed through the quantification of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, the evolution of the pH value and the dynamic bacterial population by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Results demonstrated that Akpan and BSC was metabolized after 44 h of fermentation, exerting a prebiotic effect, similar to that observed for fructooligosaccharides (FOS). All the considered bacterial groups significantly increased after Akpan, BSC and FOS fermentation, however it was observed that Akpan and BSC promoted a stronger effect on the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli than FOS. Under the tested conditions, it was observed that BSC have a higher production of SCFA, while no significant differences between the SCFA concentration produced by Akpan and FOS were observed, however the SCFA profile was different. The results obtained contribute to support the utilization of Akpan as a functional food and BSC as a potential functional ingredient with potential beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. |
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