Osmodehydrated papaya coated with limosilactobacillus fermentum and sodium alginate extracted from Sargassum fluitans

Martínez-Molina EC, Freile-Pelegrín Y, Ovando Chacon SL, Gutiérrez Miceli FA, Luján-Hidalgo MC, Ruiz-Cabrera MA, Grajales-Lagunes A, Abud-Archila M.

Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization 18: 1748-1758. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-023-02332-6

Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess how the application of Limosilactobacillus fermentum BAL-21-ITTG in alginate-based edible coatings to osmodehydrated papaya pieces affects the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of the fruit. The papaya was sliced, and these pieces were osmodehydrated at 40 °C in a sucrose solution (45 °Brix) for 6 h. Subsequently, the osmodehydrated papaya pieces (OPPs) were dried for an additional 6 h at 40 °C. The OPPs were categorized into four groups and subjected to the following treatments: T1 (coated with a sodium alginate solution and L. fermentum, followed by gelation with CaCl2); T2 (coated with a sodium alginate solution and L. fermentum); T3 (coated with L. fermentum); and T4 (uncoated). Subsequently, the OPPs were stored in polyethylene containers at 4 °C for a duration of 34 days. The viability of L. fermentum and its survival during gastrointestinal simulation, as well as physicochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic properties were assessed during storage. The T1 treatment exhibited increased firmness throughout storage and sustained higher L. fermentum viability (8.88 log CFU/g) with a 98% survival rate during gastrointestinal simulation. The sodium alginate coatings, serving as a carrier for L. fermentum addition, enhanced the organoleptic attributes of the OPPs over the 34-day storage period. Sodium alginate sourced from S. fluitans is suitable for food applications. Therefore, this technology, involving the addition of sodium alginate from S. fluitans and L. fermentum, could be employed for functional food production and industrial applications.