Fermentation of a mixture of cranberry and blueberry for the production of a synbiotic juice by bene

Consumption of prebiotic fermented products is increasing every year. Fermentation is a bioprocess that improves food quality of many vegetable products such as blueberry and cranberry. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated the health benefits of blueberry and cranberry extracts consumption. Moreover, we have developed analytic tools that allow the characterization of small berries bioactive compounds. Thereby, we successfully used these tools to demonstrate the prebiotic roles of cranberry extracts. We have also developed a significant expertise on gut microbiota and on their metabolites and antioxidant capacity. For this project, we are proposing to transform blueberry and cranberry prebiotic polyphenols into fermented juice with lactic bacteria and probiotic bacteria. The objective is to improve the symbiotic potential of a juice made of a mix of mashed blueberry and cranberry in a maple sap base and fermented with lactic bacteria specifically selected for their growth, survival and capable to increase polyphenol antioxidant properties. First, we will characterize the bioactive compounds found in the mashed blueberry and mashed cranberry by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC). Several strains of lactic bacteria selected for their enzymatic capacity as well as their ability to produce exopolysaccharides will be added to the maple water base and used for the fermentation process. Fermentation will be done in monoculture or mixed culture. Different ratios of maple water, mashed blueberry and mashed cranberry will be used in order to optimize the juice symbiosis. Fermentation will be realised in optimal conditions for each bacterial strain used. Different juice mixes submitted to the same experimental conditions in the absence of bacteria would be used as control. Fermented products will then be analysed by UHPLC to determine their phenolic contents which will allow us to pinpoint the optimal experimental conditions. The bacteria survival as well as their antioxidant capacity will be tested during the storage process. We are also planning to use an in vitro gut model, TIM-1, to investigate the physiological movement of these bacteria. Finally, the sensory properties of the fermented juices will be evaluated in order to find the best juice for commercialization.