The Effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BX62 Alone or in Combination with Chitosan on the Qualitative Characteristics of Fresh-Cut Apples during Cold Storage

• Published in: Microorganisms (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 11; p. 2404
• Main Authors: Zhao, Qian, Tang, Shihua, Fang, Xiang, Wang, Zhuo, Jiang, Yu, Guo, Xusheng, Zhu, Jianning, Zhang, Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 22.11.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Antioxidants; Apples; Bacteria; bio-preservative; Browning; Chitosan; Cold storage; Drug resistance; E coli; Fermented food; Flavor; Food; fresh-cut apples; Fruits; Lactic acid; Lactic acid bacteria; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; Mesophilic bacteria; Microbiological analysis; Microorganisms; Pathogens; Peroxidase; Polyphenol oxidase; Preservatives; Probiotics; Protective coatings; Qualitative analysis; Scavenging; Sensory evaluation; Sensory properties; Shelf life; Strawberries; Vegetables; Weight loss; Yams; Yeasts; Beijing China; China
• ISSN: 2076-2607; 2076-2607
• DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112404

In order to explore whether beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could prolong the shelf life and improve the quality of fresh-cut apples, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BX62, which was isolated from traditional fermented yak yogurt, and chitosan (CT), were applied to fresh-cut apples, subsequently stored at 4 °C. On days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8, apple slices were taken for physicochemical, microbiological analysis, and sensory evaluation. The results showed that apple slices coated with L. plantarum BX62 (8 log CFU/mL) presented lower weight loss and browning rate, higher DPPH scavenging capacity, and achieved more effective inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities compared to the control samples. The application of CT alone or in combination with L. plantarum BX62 resulted in a significant reduction in aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB), aerobic psychrophilic bacterial (APB), yeast and molds (YAMs) counts (2.31 log CFU/g for AMB, 2.55 for APB, and 1.58 for YAMs). In addition, L. plantarum BX62 coated apples showed acceptable sensory properties in terms of color, flavor, taste, texture, and overall visual quality during 8 d of storage. On this basis, L. plantarum BX62 could be used as an excellent bio-preservative to extend the shelf life and improve the quality of fresh-cut apples.