Metabolomics and gene-metabolite networks reveal the potential of Leuconostoc and Weissella strains as starter cultures in the manufacturing of bread without baker's yeast. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lopez, Constanza M.; Rocchetti, Gabriele; Fontana, Alessandra; Lucini, Luigi; Rebecchi, Annalisa
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 162(2022)Part A
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Leuconostoc -- Weissella -- Starter culture -- Dough -- Bakery -- Metabolomics -- Whole-genome sequencing -- Gene-metabolite network; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Leuconostoc and Weisella strains as starter cultures for bread without baker's yeast. Strains have appropriate phenotypic and genotypic features to be used as starter. Metabolites of doughs containing baker's yeast and LAB were clearly discriminated. Positive fold-change values were recorded for small peptides following LAB addition. Gene-metabolite networks revealed different metabolic pathway for LAB strains . Abstract: Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) could provide a valid alternative to S. cerevisiae as a starter culture for bakery products, avoiding yeast-related health problems while contributing to the technological and functional properties of bread. In this work, we evaluate the role of certain LABs ( Leuconostoc citreum SB6, Weissella cibaria UC4051, Weissella confusa UC4051, and the commercial starter cultures Weissella cibaria, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides ) in producing functional compounds (pro-technological, health-promoting, and postbiotic-like molecules). For this purpose, we analysed the genotypic and phenotypic features of strains, and we investigated dough fermentation from microbiological and metabolomics approaches. Results evidenced a clear discrimination between the metabolic activity of baker's yeast and LAB. The most discriminant metabolites derived from proteolysis and lipolysis, such as peptides, amino acids, and fatty acyls. Furthermore, we elucidated the different metabolism of these strains by building gene-metabolite interaction networks that pairwise compared the LAB strains of the same genus. While most of the networks showed a characteristic nucleotide metabolism, only the commercial W. cibaria exhibited an interaction network composed of amino acids and their related genes. In conclusion, our findings reveal that LAB strains under investigation, and particularly the commercial W. cibaria, can enhance the functional properties of bread.