Robert Klewicki

Antagonistic activity of lactic acid bacteria as probiotics against selected bacteria of the Enterobaceriacae family in the presence of polyols and their galactosyl derivatives.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria were grown on erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol or lactitol and produced various derivatives: gal-erythritol, gal-xylitol, and gal-sorbitol as prebiotics. Galactosyl derivatives of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol were metabolised by Lactobacillus spp. This resulted in their antagonistic activity against the test microflora. No activity was observed in the presence of xylitol and erythritol. Gal-sorbitol obtained by enzymatic transglycosylation from lactose had the same abilities of inducing the antagonistic activity of lactic acid bacteria that lactitol had.

The effect of different osmotic agents on the sensory perception of osmo-treated dried fruit

Summary To increase the attractiveness of dried fruit, the osmotic dehydration method (DIS) was used to fortify the structural matrix of fruit tissues with health-promoting compounds. The aim of these studies was to determine the impact of different osmotic agents on the sensory perception and acceptability of osmo-dried and osmo-freeze-dried sour cherries, blackcurrants, and apples. The osmo-dried fruits, thus manufactured, were subjected to profile sensory analysis. With the exception of basic fruit taste, all the sensory attributes investigated were influenced significantly by the osmotic agent used for fruit impregnation before drying. We proved that the osmotic solution significantly influenced the taste and/or texture profile of the dehydrated fruit and affected their sensory acceptability, but the changes depended on species and drying method. In general, dried fruit pre-treated with sucrose (S), inverted sugar (IS), or de-acidified fruit juice (DeAFJ) were characterised by having a predominantly sweet taste, while those treated with concentrated apple juice (JF) had high acidity. Oligofructose (OF) applied to freeze-dried fruit created a high level of crispness in the final product. Polyols such as galactosorbitol (GALSOR) and sorbitol (SOR) could not be recommended for osmotic impregnation of fruit due to a sensation of increasing hardness that lowered consumer acceptability of the product.

Sorption isotherms for osmo-convectively-dried and osmo-freeze-dried apple, sour cherry, and blackcurrant.

Summary The aim of our work was to measure sorption isotherms on freeze-dried and convectively-dried fruits (apple cv. Idared; sour cherry cv. English Morello; blackcurrant cv. Tiben), previously osmotically dehydrated in fructo-oligosaccharide solution, or concentrated apple juice. Isotherms were fitted using the Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer Model. In none of the cases studied was isotherm non-continuity in the vicinity of the initial value of aw observed. All isotherms, classified as type III, demonstrated an increase in the equilibrium water content, along with an increase in water activity. A higher water content was observed in lyophilised material compared to material dried by convection. The water content in the monolayer (100 g−1 dry matter) ranged from 12.0 g for dried apple, to 17.0 g for dried sour cherry. These values can be considered as optimal in order to ensure safe storage conditions. The dried fruits should therefore be kept in a water activity range of 0.45 – 0.54 for lyophilised, and 0.46 – 0.63 for convectively-dried material.

Antifungal Activity of Lactobacillus sp. Bacteria in the Presence of Xylitol and Galactosyl-Xylitol

Lactic acid fermentation is a natural method of antimicrobial food protection. Antagonistic activity of Lactobacillus sp. bacteria, taking part in this process, is directed mainly against the same or other microorganisms. In this work we determine the impact of the presence of xylitol and galactosyl-xylitol on the antagonistic activity of 60 Lactobacillus sp. strains against indicator molds (Alternaria alternata, Alternaria brassicicola, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium latenicum, Geotrichum candidum, and Mucor hiemalis) and yeasts (Candida vini). We used double-layer method to select antifungal strains of Lactobacillus bacteria and poisoned medium method to confirm their fungistatic properties. Additionally, we examined the inhibition of Alternaria brassicicola by Lactobacillus paracasei ŁOCK 0921 cultivated with xylitol or galactosyl-xylitol directly on wild cherries. The presence of xylitol and its galactosyl derivative led to increase of spectrum of antifungal activity in most of the studied plant-associated lactobacilli strains. However, no single strain exhibited activity against all the indicator microorganisms. The antifungal activity of Lactobacillus bacteria against molds varied considerably and depended on both the indicator strain and the composition of the medium. The presence of xylitol and galactosyl-xylitol in the growth medium is correlated with the antifungal activity of the studied Lactobacillus sp. bacteria against selected indicator molds.

Ellagitannins from Rubus idaeus L. Exert Geno- and Cytotoxic Effects against Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cell Line Caco-2

Ellagitannins possess several biological activities, including anticancer properties. The goal of the present study was to investigate the cyto- and genotoxic activities of a red raspberry ellagitannin preparation (REP) in the concentration range of 2.5-160 μg/mL, as well as that of the main individual raspberry ellagitannins, sanguiin H-6 (SH-6, 12.8-256 μM) and lambertianin C (LC, 9.3-378 μM), against human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. The ellagitannin concentrations used in the study correspond to those found in foodstuffs containing raspberry fruit. REP, SH-6, and LC exhibited strong concentration-dependent genotoxic properties, inducing DNA damage ranging from 7.3 ± 1.3 to 56.8 ± 4.3%, causing double-strand breaks and oxidation of DNA bases. At IC50 (124 μg/mL) the REP affected the nuclear morphology and induced the apoptosis of Caco-2 cells. Because the REP has been found to possess chemopreventive activity, it can be used as a natural food additive to enhance the health benefits of foodstuffs.

Ellagitannins from Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Fruit as Natural Inhibitors of Geotrichum candidum

The paper presents the chemical characteristics of ellagitannins isolated from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruit and their in vitro and in situ antifungal activity against Geotrichum candidum ŁOCK 0511. The study investigated a complex preparation containing various raspberry ellagitannins at a concentration of 86% w/w, as well as pure lambertianin C and sanguiin H-6. The ellagitannin preparation was obtained by extracting raspberry press cake and purifying the extract using Amberlite XAD resin, while individual compounds were isolated by means of preparative HPLC. The complex preparation was analyzed for the content of ellagitannins, anthocyanins, and flavan-3-ols using HPLC and LC-MS. The antifungal activity of the complex ellagitannin preparation and the isolated ellagitannins was determined for the strain Geotrichum candidum. The MIC and MFC values (10.0 mg/mL and 30.0 mg/mL, respectively) were found to be the same for lambertianin C, sanguiin H-6, and the complex ellagitannin preparation. The fungistatic activity of the studied ellagitannin preparation at a concentration of 10 mg/mL, as determined by the poisoned medium method, was 65.2% following 6 day incubation of Geotrichum candidum, with the linear growth rate of only 16.2 mm/day. The corresponding parameters for the control sample were 0% and 56 mm/day, respectively. The study demonstrated both in vitro and in situ antifungal activity of raspberry ellagitannins against Geotrichum candidum.

Influence of thermal treatment on the stability of phenolic compounds and the microbiological quality of sucrose solution following osmotic dehydration of highbush blueberry fruits.

BACKGROUND Osmotic dehydration is a process of the partial removal of water which is based on immersion of material having cellular structure in a hypertonic solution. Osmotic dehydration is used as a pretreatment for the dehydration of foods before they are subjected to further processing such as freezing, freeze drying, vacuum drying. Management of spent syrup is one of the most important problems related to osmotic dewatering. Osmotic solutions are heavily polluted with of carbohydrates, remains of the dehydrated material and microorganisms. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of thermal treatment on the content of phenolic compounds and the microbiological quality of sucrose solution used in 15 cycles of osmotic dehydration of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits. MATERIAL AND METHODS The tested material was 65.0 ±0.5°Brix sucrose solution used for 15 cycles of osmotic dehydration of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). Osmotic dehydration was conducted at 40°C for 120 min using fruits previously subjected to enzymatic pretreatment. The thermal treatment of sucrose solution was conducted at 70, 80, 90, 100 and 115°C for 20, 40 and 60 s. The sucrose solution was analysed in terms of total polyphenols, particular polyphenols using high performance liquid chromatography and microbiological analysis was subjected. RESULTS Thermal treatment at 70-115°C for 20 s caused degradation of 8.5% to 12.7% of polyphenols, while as much as 23.1% of polyphenols were degraded at 115°C after 60 s. The present paper proposes heating parameters that are optimal from the point of view of phenolic compound retention and microbiological quality: thermal treatment of syrup at 100°C for 40 s. Under these conditions, total polyphenols retention was 94.5%, while the retention of individual phenolic compounds varied from 89.2% to 37.2%, and that of flavan-3-ols amounted to 89.5%. The studied manner of syrup treatment eliminated the problem of syrup contamination with yeasts and molds (reducing their levels to less than 1 CFU/mL).

Synthesis of Galactosyl Derivative of Gluconic Acid with Transglycosylation Activity of β-galactosidase

Bionic acids are bioactive compounds demonstrating numerous interesting properties. They are widely produced by chemical or enzymatic oxidation of disaccharides. This paper focuses on the galactosyl derivative of gluconic acid as a result of a new method of bionic acid synthesis which utilises the transglycosylation properties of β-galactosidase and introduces lactose as a substrate. Products obtained in such a process are characterised by different structures (and, potentially, properties) than those resulting from traditional oxidation of disaccharides. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of selected parameters (concentration and ratio of substrates, dose of the enzyme, time, pH, presence of salts) on the course of the reaction carried out with the enzymatic preparation Lactozym, containing β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis. Research has shown that increased dry matter content in the baseline solution (up to 50%, by mass per volume) and an addition of NaCl contribute to higher yield. On the other hand, reduced content of the derivative is a result of increased pH from 7.0 to 9.0 and an addition of magnesium and manganese salts. Moreover, exceeding the β-galactosidase dose over approx. 35 000 U per 100 g of lactose also leads to reduced yield of the process. The most favourable molar ratio of sodium gluconate to lactose is 2.225:0.675. Depending on the conditions of the synthesis, the product concentration ranged between 17.3 and 118.3 g/L of the reaction mixture, which corresponded to the mass fraction of 6.64-23.7% of dry matter. The data obtained as a result of the present study may be useful for designing an industrial process.

Synthesis of Galactosyl Mannitol Derivative Using β-Galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis

Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify the influence of reactive mixture concentration (23–48 g/100 mL), pH (6.5–9.0), presence of NaCl (0.05–0.25 mol/L) and enzyme dose (2850–28,500 LAU/100 g of lactose) on the synthesis of galactosyl mannitol derivative using β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis. The use of the enzyme dose ranging from 2850 to 11,400 LAU/100 g lactose allowed obtaining gal-mannitol at the level of 21.8% total saccharides; higher doses intensified product decomposition. An increase in the concentration of the reactive mixture had a positive impact on the quantity of gal-mannitol obtained every single time, i.e. 4.39 g were obtained from 100 mL of a 23 g/100 mL solution and over 10 g were obtained from a 48 g/100 mL solution. A relatively low increase in product quantity (by ca. 5%) occurred after the pH was increased from 6.5 to 9.0. The use of NaCl rendered better results. An increase in the maximum content of gal-mannitol in the total sugar by 12.8% was observed at the concentration of 0.25 mol/L.

Effects of Lactofermented Beetroot Juice Alone or with N-nitroso-N-methylurea on Selected Metabolic Parameters, Composition of the Microbiota Adhering to the Gut Epithelium and Antioxidant Status of Rats

An objective of this work was to assess the biological activity of beetroot juice (Chrobry variety, Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris), which was lactofermented by probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus brevis 0944 and Lactobacillus paracasei 0920. The oxidative status of blood serum, kidneys, and liver of rats consuming the fermented beetroot juice were determined. The experimental rats were divided into four groups on diet type: Basal diet, basal diet supplemented with fermented beetroot juice, basal diet and N-nitroso-N-methylurea treatment, and basal diet supplemented with fermented beetroot juice and N-nitroso-N-methylurea treatment. Mutagen N-nitroso-N-methylurea, which was added to diet in order to induce aberrant oxidative and biochemical processes and disadvantageous changes in the count and metabolic activity of the gut epithelium microbiota. The nutritional in vivo study showed that supplementing the diet of the rats with the lactofermented beetroot juice reduced the level of ammonia by 17% in the group treated with N-nitroso-N-methylurea. Furthermore, the positive modulation of the gut microflora and its metabolic activity was observed in groups of rats fed with the diet supplemented with the fermented beetroot juice. A concomitant decrease in the β-glucuronidase activity was a consequence of the gut epithelium microbiota modulation. The antioxidant capacity of blood serum aqueous fraction was increased by about 69% in the group of rats treated N-nitroso-N-methylurea mixed with the fermented beetroot juice and N-nitroso-N-methylurea versus to the N-nitroso-N-methylurea treatment, whereas the antioxidant parameters of the blood serum lipid fraction, kidneys, and liver remained unchanged.