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. 2023 Dec 24;13(1):69.
doi: 10.3390/foods13010069.

Biotechnological Potential and Safety Evaluation of Dextran- and Riboflavin-Producing Weisella cibaria Strains for Gluten-Free Baking

Pasquale Russo  1 , Iñaki Diez-Ozaeta  2   3 , Nicola Mangieri  1 , Mercedes Tamame  4 , Giuseppe Spano  5 , Maria Teresa Dueñas  3 , Paloma López  2 , Mari Luz Mohedano  2
Affiliations

Biotechnological Potential and Safety Evaluation of Dextran- and Riboflavin-Producing Weisella cibaria Strains for Gluten-Free Baking

Pasquale Russo et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Gluten consumption causes several immunological and non-immunological intolerances in susceptible individuals. In this study, the dextran-producing Weissella cibaria BAL3C-5 and its derivative, the riboflavin-overproducing strain BAL3C-5 C120T, together with a commercial bakery yeast, were used to ferment gluten-free (GF)-doughs obtained from corn and rice flours at two different concentrations and supplemented with either quinoa, buckwheat, or chickpea to obtain laboratory-scale GF bread. The levels of dextran, riboflavin, and total flavins were determined in the fermented and breads. Both strains grew in fermented doughs and contributed dextran, especially to those made with corn plus quinoa (~1 g/100 g). The highest riboflavin (350-150 µg/100 g) and total flavin (2.3-1.75 mg/100 g) levels were observed with BAL3C-5 C120T, though some differences were detected between the various doughs or breads, suggesting an impact of the type of flour used. The safety assessment confirmed the lack of pathogenic factors in the bacterial strains, such as hemolysin and gelatinase activity, as well as the genetic determinants for biogenic amine production. Some intrinsic resistance to antibiotics, including vancomycin and kanamycin, was found. These results indicated the microbiological safety of both W. cibaria strains and indicated their potential application in baking to produce GF bread.

Keywords: Weissella cibaria; clean label; dextrans; functional bread; gluten-free; riboflavin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phenotypical assay for gelatinase and hemolytic activities. (a) Evaluation of three spots of Weissella cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T, showing no gelatinase activity. (b) Evaluation of W. cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T and BAL3C-5, showing non-hemolytic activity as well as Streptococcus pmeumoniae JNR7/87 with α hemolytic activity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Analysis of flour. Concentration of total flavins and riboflavin (a) as well as of total and soluble dextrans (b) in the corn, rice, chickpea, and buckwheat flour is depicted. The letters indicate different statistical groups inferred from the Tukey’s test (α = 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation of the workflow for making GF laboratory bread. The combination of flours used is indicated in the upper part of the figure. The steps from dough-making until the production of the baked bread are indicated in the lower part of the figure.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Evaluation of total dextran in pilot unfermented dough and laboratory bread. The levels of the polymer were evaluated in doughs (first bar on the left) and baked breads prepared with 60% or 40% of corn (C60 or C40), 20% or 40% of rice (R20 or R40), and 20% quinoa (Q20) or 20% buckwheat (B20) or 20% chickpea (C20) and fermented only with yeast (control, Sc), or co-fermented with yeast and either W. cibaria BAL3C-5 or W. cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T (Sc+Wc wt or Sc+Wc mut). No dextran was detected in dough containing chickpea (the detection limit was 4 mg/100 g). The letters indicate different statistical groups inferred from the Tukey’s test (α = 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Evaluation of flavins in pilot unfermented dough and laboratory bread. Free riboflavin (a) and total flavin (b) contents in doughs and breads prepared with 60% or 40% of corn (C60 or C40), 20% or 40% of rice (R20 or R40), and 20% quinoa (Q20) or 20% buckwheat (B20) or 20% chickpea (C20). The letters indicate different statistical groups inferred from the Tukey’s test (α = 0.05).
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