Process optimization of vanillin production by conversion of ferulic acid by Bacillus megaterium.

BACKGROUND: Vanillin is an important flavoring and aromatic ingredient found mainly in the pods of the tropical plant vanilla and is widely used in the food industry. Attempts have been made to produce vanillin from ferulic acid esters in agricultural residues of wheat bran. RESULTS: The results showed that a strain with high tolerance to the substrate ferulic acid was isolated and screened from soil and identified as belonging to the genus Bacillus (Bacillus megaterium). The concentration of vanillin produced by this strain was 0.048 g L-1 , and the molar conversion of vanillin was 12.25%. The production of vanillin was optimized by orthogonal experiments. Beef pastes 6.0 g L-1 , soybean meal 5.0 g L-1 , magnesium sulfate heptahydrate 1.0 g L-1 , iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate 1.0 g L-1 , calcium chloride 1.0 g L-1 , dipotassium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate 1.0 g L-1 ; fermentation culture conditions were pH 7.0, inoculum level 5%, loading volume 20%, ferulic acid 1.0 g L-1 , fermentation culture temperature 35 °C. The concentration of vanillin obtained was 0.218 g L-1 . Finally, transcriptomic analysis of the strain samples before and after the optimization of the fermentation conditions was carried out to study the effect of the optimization of the fermentation conditions on the concentration of vanillin produced by the strain. CONCLUSION: This study provides a theoretical basis for further improving the yield of vanillin and gradually realizing efficient industrial production. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dimethylamine, trimethylamine, and biogenic amine formation in high-pressure processed semidried squid (Todarodes pacificius) during refrigerated storage.

The quality properties of semidried squid treated with high-pressure processing (HPP) were investigated during refrigerated storage. The vacuum-packed semidried squid samples were subjected to 500 MPa for 0 min (HPP-0), 5 min (HPP-5), and 10 min (HPP-10) by using a custom-made high-pressure processor and stored at a refrigerated temperature for 28 d. The populations of indigenous psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria were effectively reduced by approximately 1 and 2 log CFU/g at the HPP-10 treatment, respectively. Compared to the control, the bacterial counts in HPP-treated semidried squid samples were maintained at low levels throughout the storage period. The increase in the amounts of dimethylamine (DMA) and trimethylamine (TMA) was more pronounced at the unpressurized control than at the HPP treatments. The production of biogenic amines (BAs) varied with HPP treatment during refrigerated storage. Therefore, the application of HPP may provide a significant improvement in the safety and quality of semidried squid.

Inactivation kinetics and virulence potential of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes treated by combined high pressure and nisin.

The aim of this study was to characterize the physiological and molecular changes of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes in deionized water (DIW) and nisin solutions (100 IU/g) during high pressure processing (HPP). Strains of Salmonella Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes in DIW or nisin solutions were subjected to 200, 300, and 400 MPa for 20 min. The Weibull model adequately described the HPP inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes. Salmonella Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes populations were reduced to less than 1 CFU/ml in DIW and nisin solutions under 400 MPa. The highest b value was 5.75 for Salmonella Typhimurium in nisin solution under 400 MPa. L. monocytogenes was more sensitive to pressure change when suspended in DIW than when suspended in nisin. The pressure sensitivity of both Salmonella Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes was higher in DIW solution (141 to 243 MPa) than in nisin solution (608 to 872 MPa). No recovery of HPP-injured cells in DIW and nisin solutions treated at 400 MPa was observed after 7 days of refrigerated storage. The heterogeneity of HPP-treated cells was revealed in flow cytometry dot plots. The transcripts of stn, invA, prfA, and inlA were relatively down-regulated in HPP-treated nisin solution. The combination of high pressure and nisin could noticeably suppress the expression of virulence-associated genes. These results provide useful information for understanding the physiological and molecular characteristics of foodborne pathogens under high-pressure stress.