CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great value in food market, as dietary supplement and/or bio-ingredient, due to their GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status, and beneficial effects. The capacity to adaptation and metabolic diversity of LAB, allow innovation in food industry for developing new products with added value. Some LAB produce functional metabolites such as group B vitamin (B12, and folates) and immunogenic (exopolysaccharides (EPS)). The physiological and molecular knowledge of LAB related to its ability to synthetize nutraceutics, is essential to evaluate its contribution to the design of functional foods. Moreover, this knowledge leads to innovation and systematization of the fermentative bio-process, resulting in an efficiently increasing production of the desired nutraceutic with reduced cost of its application in novel functional foods such as dehydrated products or healthy snacks, among others. Focusing on folate synthesis, three different folate producing LAB strains were identified. These strains (Streptococcus (S.) thermophilus CRL803, S. macedonicus CRL415, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CRL871 (L. bulgaricus)) synthetized high levels of folates in culture medium and complex matrix as milk. As part of the improvement of the bio-process, adjustment of many variables for culturing and synthesis/release of extracellular substances is necessary. In fact modification of culture conditions like addition of precursors, carbon sources exchange, or modification of pH in culture medium, increased folate production in a shorter time. Besides, increased folate synthesis was correlated to significant increase in the expression of de novo folate synthesis related genes, and the responsible ones for polyglutamic chain elongation. Taking into account these results, an optimal starter culture was formulated, and a natural bio-enriched fermented milk in folate was developed. Furthermore, product functionality was assessed in a folate deficiency animal model, demonstrating that the novel fermented milk was able not only to recover from the folate deficiency, but also to prevent it. Those studies together with similar ones focused on vitamin B12, and EPS production represent the basis for new application perspectives of LAB in development of novel bio-enriched foods with proved functionality. Continuing with this line, currently the main focus is the performance of technological studies, to the in bulk generation of bio-mass and/or metabolite (fermentative bio-process) to obtaining of prototypes (technological-productive process). The technological process stage involves the design of prototypes, presentation and conservation of the functional properties during storage. In this context, food dehydration or dietary ingredients, is another valuable technological tool applicable in increasing market niches, where many food companies are currently investing on.

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