Effect of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on tannins removal in Xuan Mugua fruits

The present study was conducted for developing a new method to reduce the tannins content of Xuan Mugua fruits. Lactic acid bacteria fermentation-like incubation was explored as an efficient method to reduce the astringency of Mugua fruits by reducing tannins content. To ensure the efficient removal of tannins, the fermentation conditions were optimized such as temperature, time, and ratio of bacteria to Mugua. Bacteria were able to reduce 78% of the tannins content in Mugua under the optimized conditions as assessed by the methylcellulose perceptible tannins assay. Meanwhile, the active components including polysaccharides, triterpenes, and antioxidants of Mugua with bacterial incubation were also explored, which showed the significant decrease compared to non-fermented Mugua. However, the trend for flavor components was different. This research provides a natural method to solve the astringency problem of these fruits and it will extend their application in food industry.