Fermentability of Brown Rice and Rice Bran for Growth of Human Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826
Premsuda Saman1, Pablo Fuciños2, José A. Vázquez3 and Severino S. Pandiella1*
1School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Sackville Street, PO Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK
2Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, University of Vigo, r/As Lagoas s/n, Ourense-32004, Galicia, Spain
3Group of Recycling and Valorisation of Wastes, Marine Research Institute (CSIC), r/Eduardo Cabello 6, Vigo-36208, Galicia, Spain
Article history:
Received February 2, 2009
Accepted December 10, 2009
Key words:
Lactobacillus plantarum, probiotic bacteria, cereal fermentability, brown rice, rice bran
Summary:
The growth on rice-based media of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 isolated from the human gut has been investigated. Fermentation broths were obtained from the whole grain brown rice and rice bran of two Thai rice cultivars, RD6 (glutinous) and RD17 (nonglutinous). The rice used was not germinated and fermentations were carried out in a single step without growth supplementation. L. plantarum grew well in all tested broths, and a final biomass value of approx. 10.4 log CFU/mL was obtained. In addition, biomass production and substrate depletion were satisfactorily modelled using an unstructured mathematical model. There were no statistical differences observed among the four rice media. The results confirm that brown rice and rice bran are suitable substrates for the culture of the probiotic L. plantarum NCIMB 8826. Rice bran, currently a by-product of the traditional cereal processing industry, has shown similar fermentability to brown rice. This indicates that rice bran or rice bran extracts could be used in new probiotic food developments, while probably still maintaining other functional properties of the bran.
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