[Effects of Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation on the quality and functional properties of mulberry juice]

To investigate the effects of Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation on mulberry juice quality.

Fresh mulberry juice was used as the raw material and inoculated with P. acidilactici strain 003W to establish a fermentation system. After fermentation at 37 ℃ for 48 h, the active components (total phenolics and anthocyanins), physicochemical indexes (pH, total acid content, reducing sugar content), antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS+ radical scavenging rates), and electronic tongue flavor characteristics (sourness, astringency, richness, etc. ) were evaluated before and after fermentation.

The result showed that after fermentation, the total phenolic content increased from 11.01 mg GAE/mL to 13.41 mg GAE/mL, and the anthocyanin content increased from 0.60 mg RE/mL to 0.79 mg RE/mL. The pH value decreased from 5.70 to 4.34; the total acid content (expressed as lactic acid) increased from 4.10 g/L to 12.24 g/L; and the reducing sugar content (expressed as glucose) decreased from 85.00 mg/mL to 75.00 mg/mL. The DPPH free radical scavenging rate and ABTS+ free radical scavenging rate reached 40.08% and 49.87% from 18.00% and 28.00%(P<0.05). Electronic tongue analysis indicated that the sourness and richness of fermented mulberry juice were enhanced, while the astringency was significantly reduced, resulting in a more harmonious flavor profile.

This study demonstrates that fermentation by P. acidilactici 003W effectively enhances the content of active components, antioxidant capacity, and flavor characteristics of mulberry juice, offering a scientific foundation for developing high-value probiotic mulberry beverages.