Functional Characterization of the Weissella Cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T Strain, which Produces Dextran and Riboflavin in Excess, for the Creation of Biofortified Plant-based Drinks

Abstract

Humans require riboflavin (vitamin B2), which can only be obtained through a balanced diet. An
excellent method for creating functional drinks through in situ biofortification is fermentation using
riboflavin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These drinks have the potential to improve consumer
health and fill in dietary gaps. Weissella cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T's functional skills for riboflavin
overproduction and dextran production during the fermentation of drinks made from oats, rice,
soybeans, and almonds have been assessed in this work. The strain's ability to produce dextran and
riboflavin in the examined beverages was verified. The strain's ability to raise riboflavin and dextran
levels to 3.4 mg/L and 3.2 g/L, respectively, after 24 hours of fermentation was particularly noticeable in
the oat-based beverage. Furthermore, the strain was able to add up to 6.6 g/L of the prebiotic
oligosaccharide panose to fermented oat-based beverages under ideal circumstances. Furthermore,
after a month of storage, BAL3C-5 C120T shown a high 80% cell viability and a good capacity to reduce
pH (from 7.0 to 3.8) in the oat-based drinks. The fermented oat-based beverages that were produced had
a thixotropic structure and gel-like behavior, which was not seen in the non-fermented control drinks,
according to rheological research. In conclusion, these findings validated the special qualities of the W.
cibaria BAL3C-5 C120T strain for the production of functional and bio-fortified plant-based drinks with
enhanced rheological and nutritional qualities. Analysis of the BAL3C-5 C120T strain's autoaggregation
characteristics and survival in gastrointestinal settings suggested that it might be used as a probiotic in
a fermented beverage made from oats. In this regard, the study also encourages the use of W. cibaria
species in food and health industries where they have not yet been employed as an auxiliary or starter
culture.