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Current Research in Food Science 2022The demand for Kombucha, a sparkling sugared tea beverage fermented by a symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) and yeast is increasing worldwide. Despite the...
The demand for Kombucha, a sparkling sugared tea beverage fermented by a symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) and yeast is increasing worldwide. Despite the popularity of the beverage which is mainly due to its perceived health benefits and appealing sensory properties, the microbial composition of the products at the time of consumption is unknown. Such information is important to both manufacturers and consumers. Therefore, this study characterised the dominant AAB and yeast present in six commercial Kombucha samples sold in New Zealand which comprised of three domestic and three imported samples. Acetic acid bacteria and yeast were isolated from the Kombucha samples using glucose yeast extract peptone mannitol (GYPM) and yeast extract glucose chloramphenicol (YGC) media, respectively. Phenotypic and taxonomic identification of AAB and yeast were achieved by morphological and biochemical characterisation, followed by sequence analysis of ribosomal RNA genes (16S rRNA for AAB and 26S rRNA for yeast). Viable AAB and yeast were only found in domestically produced Kombucha samples and not in the imported products. The dominant AAB species were identified as and . The yeast isolates belonged to , and The yeast communities were more complex and variable than the AAB communities in the analysed Kombucha samples.
PubMed: 35600538
DOI: 10.1016/j.crfs.2022.04.013 -
Microbiology Spectrum Mar 2023Multispecies communities participate in the fermentation of Chinese strong-flavor Baijiu (CSFB), and the metabolic activity of the dominant and keystone taxa is key to...
Multispecies communities participate in the fermentation of Chinese strong-flavor Baijiu (CSFB), and the metabolic activity of the dominant and keystone taxa is key to the flavor quality of the final product. However, their roles in metabolic function and assembly processes are still not fully understood. Here, we identified the variations in the metabolic profiles of dominant and keystone taxa and characterized their community assembly using 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene amplicon and metatranscriptome sequencing. We demonstrate that CSFB fermentations with distinct metabolic profiles display distinct microbial community compositions and microbial network complexities and stabilities. We then identified the dominant taxa (Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Kazachstania africana, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia kudriavzevii) and the keystone ecological cluster (module 0, affiliated mainly with Thermoascus aurantiacus, Weissella confusa, and Aspergillus amstelodami) that cause changes in metabolic profiles. Moreover, we highlight that the alpha diversity of keystone taxa contributes to changes in metabolic profiles, whereas dominant taxa exert their influence on metabolic profiles by virtue of their relative abundance. Additionally, our results based on the normalized stochasticity ratio (NST) index and the neutral model revealed that stochastic and deterministic processes together shaped CSFB microbial community assemblies. Stochasticity and environmental selection structure the keystone and dominant taxa differently. This study provides new insights into understanding the relationships between microbial communities and their metabolic functions. From an ecological perspective, keystone taxa in microbial networks with high connectivity have crucial roles in community assembly and function. We used CSFB fermentation as a model system to study the ecological functions of dominant and keystone taxa at the metabolic level. We show that both dominant taxa (e.g., those taxa that have the highest relative abundances) and keystone taxa (e.g., those taxa with the most cooccurrences) affected the resulting flavor profiles. Moreover, our findings established that stochastic processes were dominant in shaping the communities of keystone taxa during CSFB fermentation. This result is striking as it suggests that although the controlled conditions in the fermentor can determine the dominant taxa, the uncontrolled rare keystone taxa in the microbial community can alter the resulting flavor profiles. This important insight is vital for the development of potential manipulation strategies to improve the quality of CSFB through the regulation of keystone species.
PubMed: 36916915
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05103-22 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2023Following the rising concern on environmental issues caused by conventional fossil-based plastics and depleting crude oil resources, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are of...
Following the rising concern on environmental issues caused by conventional fossil-based plastics and depleting crude oil resources, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are of great interest by scientists and biodegradable polymer market due to their outstanding properties which include high biodegradability in various conditions and processing flexibility. Many polyhydroxyalkanoate-synthesizing microorganisms, including normal and halophilic bacteria, as well as algae, have been investigated for their performance in polyhydroxyalkanoate production. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is still limited studies on PHAs-producing marine yeast. In the present study, a halophilic yeast strain isolated from Spratly Island in Vietnam were investigated for its potential in polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by growing the yeast in Zobell marine agar medium (ZMA) containing Nile red dye. The strain was identified by 26S rDNA analysis as Pichia kudriavzevii TSLS24 and registered at Genbank database under code OL757724. The amount of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized was quantified by measuring the intracellular materials (predicted as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) -PHB) by gravimetric method and subsequently confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses. Under optimal growth conditions of 35 °C and pH 7 with supplementation of glucose and yeast extract at 20 and 10 gL, the isolated strain achieved poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) content and concentration of 43.4% and 1.8 gL after 7 days of cultivation. The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) produced demonstrated excellent biodegradability with degradation rate of 28% after 28 days of incubation in sea water.
Topics: Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Pichia; Vietnam; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
PubMed: 36823427
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28220-z -
Journal, Genetic Engineering &... Jun 2020Probiotic strains are incorporated into food substrates to contribute to fermentation process. The technological suitability of such strains to improve the flavor and...
BACKGROUND
Probiotic strains are incorporated into food substrates to contribute to fermentation process. The technological suitability of such strains to improve the flavor and nutritional value of fermented food is strain-specific. Potentially probiotic yeasts isolated from Nigerian traditional fermented foods were assessed for production of volatile compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry. Phytases were characterized for activity and stability at different pH (3-8) and temperatures (25-50 °C).
RESULTS
A total of 45 volatiles compounds were identified from intracellular cell-free extracts of Pichia kluyveri LKC17, Issatchenkia orientalis OSL11, P. kudriavzevii OG32, P. kudriavzevii ROM11, and Candida tropicalis BOM21. They include alcohols (14), carbonyls (13), esters (10), and organic acids (8). Phenylethyl alcohol was the highest higher-alcohol in Issatchenkia orientalis OSL11 (27.51 %). The largest proportion of esters was detected in P. kudriavzevii OG32 (17.38 %). Pichia kudriavzevii OG32 and C. tropicalis BOM21 showed vigorous gowth in minimal medium supplemented with sodium phytate (2 g L). Extracellular phytases from P. kudriavzevii OG32 and Candida tropicalis BOM2 showed optimal activiy at pH 4.6 (104.28 U) and pH 3.6 (81.43 U) respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Results obtained revealed species- and strain-specific potentials of the yeast strains to improve flavor and mineral bioavailability of fermented food products. Therefore, the application of these yeasts as starter cultures during food fermentation process is a very promising method to enhance the flavor profile and enhance mineral bioavailability in indigenous cereal-based fermented food products.
PubMed: 32507932
DOI: 10.1186/s43141-020-00031-z -
BMC Microbiology Oct 2020Pathogenic fungi often cause serious infections mainly in immunocompromised persons. The number of infections caused by the non-albicans Candida or other species has...
BACKGROUND
Pathogenic fungi often cause serious infections mainly in immunocompromised persons. The number of infections caused by the non-albicans Candida or other species has significantly increased over the last years. These infections present a major challenge in the health sector because these pathogenic fungi have strong virulence and often show resistance to the commonly used antifungal treatments. To solve the problems caused by the drug resistant pathogenic fungi, it is necessary to find new antifungal agents and their sources. The aim of this study was to give evidence that yeasts can effectively fight against strains which belong to pathogenic fungi and reveal those yeasts which are able to inhibit growth of Kodamaea ohmeri, Pichia kudriavzevii, Naganishia albida or Candida tropicalis. Furthermore, we wanted to determine the effects of certain culturing factors on the growth inhibition.
RESULTS
Our screening revealed that although the strains belonging to pathogenic species were much more tolerant to the yeast-produced bioactive agents than the non-disease-associated yeasts, growth of Kodamaea ohmeri and Candida tropicalis could be inhibited by Metschnikowia andauensis, while Naganishia albida could be controlled by Pichia anomala or Candida tropicalis. Our data proved that the experimental circumstances could have a serious impact on the inhibitory capacity of the yeasts. Appearance of inhibition strongly depended on media, pH and temperature. Our data also shed some light on the fact that Pichia kudriavzevii must have high natural resistance to the yeast-produced agents, while other species, such as Saccharomycopsis crataegensis belonged to the easily inhibitable species.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that yeast-produced bioactive agents could be potential growth inhibitory agents against the disease-associated fungi and yeasts can also contribute to alternative approaches to combat against pathogenic fungi. Our data revealed an important role of the culturing factors in inhibition and pointed to the complex nature of antagonism.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Candidiasis; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Yeasts
PubMed: 33087058
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01942-0 -
Food Technology and Biotechnology Sep 2020In our study, spontaneous alcoholic fermentations were carried out to isolate non- and yeasts from grape must from different vine-growing regions in Slovenia....
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
In our study, spontaneous alcoholic fermentations were carried out to isolate non- and yeasts from grape must from different vine-growing regions in Slovenia. Additionally, the diversity of native strains was evaluated during the process.
EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
During spontaneous alcoholic fermentations the yeast population of non- and yeasts was sampled. We used eleven microsatellite markers to determine the genetic diversity of strains. In addition, different ratios of the indigenous strains of , and were tested for their possible use in alcoholic fermentation with inoculated yeasts by monitoring its course and measuring the concentration of aroma compounds in wine.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA showed that of 64 isolates, 46 strains represent and 18 strains belong to non- yeasts. The identified non- yeast species were , , and . The dendrogram grouped strains into 14 groups. The number of strains isolated from the musts was 10 (Posavje), 11 (Podravje) and 25 (Primorska vine-growing region). On the other hand, the alcoholic fermentation with inoculated yeasts, in which the native strain predominated over and , gave the most promising result due to the highest alcoholvolume fraction, the lowest acetic acid concentration and significantly higher concentrations of volatile thiols 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) and 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH), 2-methylpropanol, 2-methylbutanol, 3-methylbutanol and 2-phenylethanol) in the produced wine.
NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION
We confirmed the potential use of indigenous and non- yeasts in alcoholic fermentation with inoculated yeasts, which allows the positive properties of the yeast strains to be expressed and good quality wines to be produced. Thus, the results are encouraging for winemakers to create different wine styles associated with a particular terroir using indigenous yeasts.
PubMed: 33281489
DOI: 10.17113/ftb.58.03.20.6677 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Oct 2021Susceptibility testing is an important tool in the clinical setting; its utility is based on the availability of categorical endpoints, breakpoints (BPs), or...
Etest ECVs/ECOFFs for Detection of Resistance in Prevalent and Three Nonprevalent spp. to Triazoles and Amphotericin B and Aspergillus spp. to Caspofungin: Further Assessment of Modal Variability.
Susceptibility testing is an important tool in the clinical setting; its utility is based on the availability of categorical endpoints, breakpoints (BPs), or epidemiological cutoff values (ECVs/ECOFFs). CLSI and EUCAST have developed antifungal susceptibility testing, BPs, and ECVs for some fungal species. Although the concentration gradient strip bioMérieux Etest is useful for routine testing in the clinical laboratory, ECVs are not available for all agent/species; the lack of clinical data precludes development of BPs. We reevaluated and consolidated Etest data points from three previous studies and included new data. We defined ECOFFinder Etest ECVs for three sets of species-agent combinations: fluconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole and 9 spp.; amphotericin B and 3 nonprevalent spp.; and caspofungin and 4 Aspergillus spp. The total of Etest MICs from 23 laboratories (Europe, the Americas, and South Africa) included (antifungal agent dependent): 17,242 Candida albicans, 244 C. dubliniensis, 5,129 C. glabrata species complex (SC), 275 C. guilliermondii (Meyerozyma guilliermondii), 1,133 C. krusei (), 933 C. kefyr (Kluyveromyces marxianus), 519 C. lusitaniae (Clavispora lusitaniae), 2,947 C. parapsilosis SC, 2,214 C. tropicalis, 3,212 Aspergillus fumigatus, 232 A. flavus, 181 A. niger, and 267 A. terreus SC isolates. Triazole MICs for 66 confirmed non-wild-type (non-WT) isolates were available ( point mutations). Distributions fulfilling CLSI ECV criteria were pooled, and ECOFFinder Etest ECVs were established for triazoles (9 spp.), amphotericin B (3 less-prevalent spp.), and caspofungin (4 Aspergillus spp.). Etest fluconazole ECVs could be good detectors of non-WT isolates (59/61 non-WT, 4 of 6 species).
Topics: Amphotericin B; Antifungal Agents; Aspergillus; Candida; Caspofungin; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Kluyveromyces; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pichia; Saccharomycetales; Triazoles
PubMed: 34370582
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01093-21 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021This study aimed to identify the volatile compounds in the fermented and dried cocoa beans conducted with three distinct inoculants of yeast species due to their high...
This study aimed to identify the volatile compounds in the fermented and dried cocoa beans conducted with three distinct inoculants of yeast species due to their high fermentative capacity: , , the mixture in equal proportions 1:1 of both species, and a control fermentation (with no inoculum application). Three starter cultures of yeasts, previously isolated and identified in cocoa fermentation in the municipality of Tomé-Açu, Pará state, Brazil. The seeds with pulp were removed manually and placed in wooden boxes for the fermentation process that lasted from 6 to 7 days. On the last day of fermentation, the almonds were packaged properly and placed to dry (36 °C), followed by preparation for the analysis of volatile compounds by GC-MS technique. In addition to the control fermentation, a high capacity for the formation of desirable compounds in chocolate by the inoculants with was observed, which was confirmed through multivariate analyses, classifying these almonds with the highest content of aldehydes, esters, ketones and alcohols and low concentration of off-flavours. We conclude that the addition of mixed culture starter can be an excellent alternative for cocoa producers, suggesting obtaining cocoa beans with desirable characteristics for chocolate production, as well as creating a product identity for the producing region.
Topics: Cacao; Chocolate; Fermentation; Food Industry; Pichia; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Seeds; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 33440885
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020344 -
Oral Oncology Nov 2023Head and neck cancer (HNC) impairs patient immunity and increases susceptibility to oral fungal infections (OFIs). Effectively treating such infections requires accurate...
OBJECTIVES
Head and neck cancer (HNC) impairs patient immunity and increases susceptibility to oral fungal infections (OFIs). Effectively treating such infections requires accurate identification of the causative pathogens. This study aimed to characterize the mycobiota profile of OFIs in HNC patients undergoing radiation treatment (RT).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A 6-year retrospective analysis of oral mucosal samples from HNC patients with a history of RT and OFIs between 2014 and 2019 was conducted using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) profiling. Samples from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Karolinska University Hospital were evaluated for mycobiota diversity and species co-occurrence patterns in the ongoing-RT and post-RT groups.
RESULTS
A total of 190 oral fungi (88% Candida, 5% Pichia) were isolated from 162 HNC patients receiving RT. In the ongoing-RT group, the emergent non-albicans Candida (NAC) species; F. solani and C. jadinii, were detected for the first time. The dominant pathogens in both ongoing and post-RT groups were C. albicans, C. glabrata, P. kudriavzevii, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis, as shown by Venn analysis. Network analysis revealed greater fungi diversity and multi-species co-occurrence in the ongoing-RT group. C. albicans commonly co-occurred with C. glabrata in both ongoing-RT (21%) and post-RT groups (30%).
CONCLUSION
MALDI-TOF MS identified a wide range of oral fungal species in HNC patients receiving RT. While C. albicans remains the most prevalent OFIs pathogen, multi-species co-occurrence and novel NACs were noted. Understanding the ecological interactions among these causative pathogens could significantly advance the development of effective therapeutics for treating OFIs in HNC patients.
Topics: Humans; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Retrospective Studies; Candida; Mycoses; Head and Neck Neoplasms
PubMed: 37611433
DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2023.106556 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Currently, non- yeasts are the subject of interest, among other things, for their contribution to the aromatic complexity of wines. In this study, the characterisation...
Currently, non- yeasts are the subject of interest, among other things, for their contribution to the aromatic complexity of wines. In this study, the characterisation of non- yeasts was addressed by their isolation during spontaneous fermentations of organic Verdejo grapes, obtaining a total of 484 isolates, of which 11% were identified by molecular techniques as non- yeasts. Fermentative isolates belonging to the species , , , , , and were analysed. Significant differences were found in the yeast populations established at the different fermentation stages. Interestingly, stood up as a widely distributed species in vineyards, vintages, and fermentation stages. Several of the strains studied stood out for their biotechnological potential in the production of Verdejo wine, showing the presence of relevant enzymatic activity for the release of varietal aromas and the technological improvement of the winemaking process. Three enzymatic activities were found in an important number of isolates, β-glucosidase, protease, and β-lyase, implicated in the positive aromatic impact on this style of white wine. In that sense, all the isolates of presented those activities. isolates were highlighted for their significant β-lyase activity. In addition, was outlined because of its potential to achieve an elevated fermenting power, as well as the lack of lag phase. The results obtained highlight the importance of maintaining the microbial diversity that contributes to the production of wines with unique and distinctive characteristics of the production region.
PubMed: 37835297
DOI: 10.3390/foods12193644