Effect of microbial fermentation on functional traits and volatiloma profile of pâté olive cake

In this study, the pâté olive cake (POC), a by-product of the olive oil industry, was subjected to fermentation in a bioreactor using three microbial strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Candida boidinii, previously isolated from fermented table olive brines. Chemical, microbiological and molecular analyses were carried out at the beginning and at the end of fermentation. The lowest pH value (4.09) was reached after 10 days in sample inoculated with C. boidinii. Microbiological analyses exhibited the dominance of yeasts throughout the whole process (from 5.5 to 7.80 Log₁₀ CFU/g), as confirmed by PCR-DGGE analysis. The microbial cultures affected both phenolic and volatile organic compound profiles. Moreover, the POC samples treated with different microbial strains were investigated for biological assays. The sample fermented with W. anomalus showed the greatest diffusion speed of transepithelial transport through Caco-2 cell, the highest inhibitory activity towards the tested cyclooxygenases and the highest antioxidant activity.