YANG Shuaishuai, NIU Ben, LIU Ruiling, FANG Xiangjun, CHEN Huizhi, SHEN Chaoyi, TONG Chuan, CHEN Hangjun, WU Weijie, GAO Haiyan
The study examined the five probiotics strains (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus, and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus) for their potential in blueberry juice fermentation.The aim was to identify the most suitable strains and assess their impact on mouse gut health by evaluating sensory quality, soluble solids, total acidity, pH, total sugars, total phenols, and total anthocyanins, as well as antioxidant ability and flavour.Results indicated that fermentation with probiotics improved various aspects of the blueberry juice.Among the probiotic strains, L. plantarum and L.acidophilus exhibited higher utilization of soluble sugars and stronger acid production capabilities, reaching 1.55 and 1.39 g/L, respectively.In terms of total phenols and antioxidant capacity, L.plantarum, L.casei, and L.delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus all showed significant improvements, although there were no significant differences in total anthocyanins.A total of 35 species were detected by GC-IMS, among which, the L.plantarum fermentation group had a higher and more varied content of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, which conferred fruity and floral aroma to the fermented blueberry juice.Regarding gut health, L.plantarum fermented blueberry juice could ameliorate minor damage to the liver, kidney, and small intestinal villi and their surrounding tissue cells in mice with intestinal disorders.The L.plantarum fermented blueberry juice could increase the abundance of beneficial butyric acid-producing genera, such as Treponema spp.in the phylum Bacillota, and inhibit the growth of pro-inflammatory flora, such as norank_f__Prevotellaceae and harmful bacteria, such as Thomasclavelia.In conclusion, L.plantarum-fermented blueberry juice showed potential for promoting gut health, offering valuable insight for the development of probiotic-fermented blueberry juice with gut health protection.