Short-chain fatty acids production by Bifidobacterium species in the presence of salep

BACKGROUND: Salep is obtained by grinding dried orchid tubers and used as a valuable ingredient in the food industry. Because of the glucomannan content of salep, it is thought to have prebiotic potential. However, there is little information in studies concerning the fermentation characteristics and potential prebiotic properties of salep. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of salep on bifidobacterial growth by measuring the highest optical density (OD), calculating the specific growth rates, and determining the production of lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids (acetic, propionic, and butyric acid) as a result of bacterial fermentation. RESULT: The OD and pH values obtained in this study showed that salep was utilized as a source of assimilable carbon and energy by the Bifidobacterium species (BS). All Bifidobacterium strains produced lactic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid, indicating that salep is readily fermented by these bacteria. Salep at 1% (w/v) showed a similar effect on bifidobacterial growth as that promoted by 1% (w/v) glucose used as a traditional carbon source. CONCLUSIONS: Bifidobacterium species can develop in media containing salep as well as in glucose and exhibit the potential to be used as new sources of prebiotics.

Development of Growth Models Based on Years for Salep Orchid Planted in Natural Environment

Abstract The orchids that produced tuber are known as salep orchids and have been collected from nature for centuries as a medicinal and aromatic plant. These orchids are endangered species because of their limited vegetative and generative production possibilities. Salep orchids, seed germination has been achieved with in-vitro studies, but no source has been found regarding the development of germinated seeds over the years. In this study, Dactylorhiza euxina (Nevski) Czerep. was used as research material. Seeds that were determined to germinate in nature were observed to develop in their own environment for five years and some morphological characteristics (plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, total weight, tuber width, and tuber weight) were determined at the end of each vegetation year. Plants that start to develop with seed germination produce one leaf and a tuber of 0.115 g in the first year. When the tubers obtained from the first year were planted again, the plants was obtained 2-3 leaves and they were formed 0.465 grams of tubers. In the third year plants bloom for the first time. The period until flowering in the plant was called maturity period and Dactylorhiza euxina (Nevski) Czerep. was found to have a 3-year maturity period. Plants produced tuber 0.850 g in the third year, 1.585 g in the fourth year and 2.522 g in the fifth year. According to the mathematical modeling, the relationship between year (Y) and fresh tuber weight (FTW) was found Y = 1.22 + (1.61 × FTW) and there was a significant relationship among year, fresh tuber weight, and total biomass (TBM). This equation Y = 1.05 + (0.76 × FTW) + (0.14 × TBM) shows us the mathematical relations of year, fresh tuber weight, and total biomass. The mathematical relations among to fresh tuber weight, total biomass, and plant height (PH) was produced Y = 1.74 - (0.11 × FTW) + (0.57 × TBM) - (0.09 × PH). R2 values were found 0.95-0.99. All R2 values and standard errors were found to be significant at the p < 0.01 level.

Encapsulation of flaxseed oil extract in alginate-salep system by ionic gelation

The objective of the current study was to encapsulate flaxseed oil extracted from finely grounded flaxseed powder and determined for its fatty acids content by GC/FID. Ionotropic gelation method was used to form beads containing 40% flaxseed oil with vitamin E being used as an antioxidant agent. The study employed calcium chloride solution as crosslinking agent with a combination of sodium alginate and salep. The effect of polymer concentrations and calcium chloride concentration on the morphology, entrapment efficiency and oil release was studied. The encapsulation efficiency reached 93.46 ± 0.064% using 0.6% of salep and 2% sodium alginate with 0.3M calcium chloride gelling solution. In SGF medium, the matrix released only about 28.56% of the entrapped flaxseed oil after 2 hours. The rest of the oil then released in the SIF medium, continuing for up to 5 h to release 99.32% of the oil.