Fruit and vegetable juice fermentation with Bifidobacteria

Consumers are becoming more interested in healthy nutrition. To meet consumer requirements, the possibility of the fruit and vegetable juice fermentation by bifidobacteria was investigated. Sour cherry, orange, carrot, and tomato juice was fermented with five Bifidobacterium strains (from human origin and starter culture). The tested strains have grown well in orange, carrot, and tomato juices. The B. longum Bb-46 strain demonstrated the best growth activities. It was found that ratio of the produced acetic and lactic acids are dependent on the Bifidobacterium strain rather than on the fermentation medium. The most intensive inhibition was observed against the Campylobacter jejuni strain. In course of the fermentation the antioxidant capacities slightly decreased, except when the orange juice was fermented with B. lactis Bb-12 and B. longum A4.8. The obtained results may contribute to the design of a novel functional food product.