Research Project: Improved Processes for the Preservation and Utilization of Vegetables, Including Cucumber, Sweetpotato, Cabbage, and Peppers to Produce Safe, High Quality Products with Reduced Energy Use and Waste

Location: Food Science Research

Publications (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)

CO2-mediated bloater defect can be induced by the uncontrolled growth of Enterobacteriaceae in cucumber fermentation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhai, Y., Pagan Medina, C.G., Perez Diaz, I.M. 2023. CO2-mediated bloater defect can be induced by the uncontrolled growth of Enterobacteriaceae in cucumber fermentation. Food Science and Nutrition. 11(10):6178-6187. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3557.

Genotypic and phenotypic diversity among Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus isolated from industrial scale cucumber fermentations - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Perez Diaz, I.M., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Anekella, K., Pagan Medina, C.G., Mendez-Sandoval, L., Arellano, C., Price, R., Daughtry, K.V., Borges, M., Bream, C., Connelly, L., Dieck, S.E., Levi, M.T., Mcmurtrie, E.K., Smith, R.E., Theora, J.C., Wendland, P., Gomez-Rodriguez, F., Arroyo-Lopez, F. 2021. Genotypic and phenotypic diversity among Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus isolated from industrial scale cucumber fermentations. Food Microbiology. 94:103652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103652.

Gentiobiose and cellobiose content in fresh and fermenting cucumbers and utilization of such disaccharides by lactic acid bacteria in fermented cucumber juice medium - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ucar, R.A., Perez Diaz, I.M., Dean, L.L. 2020. Gentiobiose and cellobiose content in fresh and fermenting cucumbers and utilization of such disaccharides by lactic acid bacteria in fermented cucumber juice medium. Food Science and Nutrition. 8(11):5798-5810. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1830.

Characterization of robust Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus starter cultures for environmentally friendly low-salt cucumber fermentations - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Anekella, K., Perez Diaz, I.M. 2020. Characterization of robust Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus pentosus starter cultures for environmentally friendly low-salt cucumber fermentations. Journal of Food Science. 85(10):3487-3467. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15416.

Bacteriophages infecting gram-negative bacteria in a commercial cucumber fermentation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Lu, Z., Perez Diaz, I.M., Hayes, J., Breidt, F. 2020. Bacteriophages infecting gram-negative bacteria in a commercial cucumber fermentation. Frontiers in Microbiology. 11:1306. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01306.

Determination of free amino acids in five commercial sweetpotato cultivars by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Qiu, X., Reynolds, R., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Truong, V. 2020. Determination of free amino acids in five commercial sweetpotato cultivars by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 92:103522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2020.103522.

Contribution of Leuconostocaceae to CO2-mediated bloater defect in cucumber fermentation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhai, Y., Perez Diaz, I.M. 2020. Contribution of Leuconostocaceae to CO2-mediated bloater defect in cucumber fermentation. Food Microbiology. 91:103536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103536.

Isolation of exopolysaccharide-producing yeast and lactic acid bacteria from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) sourdough fermentation - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Franco, W., Perez Diaz, I.M., Connelly, L.E., Diaz, J. 2020. Isolation of exopolysaccharide-producing yeast and lactic acid bacteria from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) sourdough fermentation. Foods. 9(3):337. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9030337.

Content of xylose, trehalose and L-citrulline in cucumber fermentations and utilization of such compounds by certain lactic acid bacteria - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ucar, R.A., Perez Diaz, I.M., Dean, L.L. 2020. Content of xylose, trehalose and L-citrulline in cucumber fermentations and utilization of such compounds by certain lactic acid bacteria. Food Microbiology. 91:103454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2020.103454.

Modulation of the bacterial population in commercial cucumber fermentations by brining salt type - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Perez Diaz, I.M., Dickey, A., Fitria, R., Ravishankar, N., Hayes, J.S., Campbell, K., Arritt, F. 2020. Modulation of the bacterial population in commercial cucumber fermentations by brining salt type. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 128(6):1678-1693. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14597.

Comparative genomics of eight Lactobacillus buchneri strains isolated from food spoilage - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Nethery, M.A., Daughtry, K.V., Henriksen, E., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Barrangou, R. 2019. Comparative genomics of eight Lactobacillus buchneri strains isolated from food spoilage. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 20:902. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6274-0.

Effect of storage and packaging materials on color and carotenoid content of orange-fleshed sweetpotato flours - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chilungo, S., Muzhingi, T., Truong, V., Allen, J. 2019. Effect of storage and packaging materials on color and carotenoid content of orange-fleshed sweetpotato flours. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology. 4(9):362-369.

Acid inhibition on polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in processing of anthocyanin-rich juice and co-product recovery from purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Truong, A.N., Thor, Y., Harris, K., Simunovic, J., Truong, V. 2019. Acid inhibition on polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in processing of anthocyanin-rich juice and co-product recovery from purple-fleshed sweetpotatoes. Journal of Food Science. 84(7):1730:1736. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.14664.

Effect of brine acidification on fermentation microbiota and texture quality of cucumbers fermented in calcium chloride brines - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
McMurtrie, E.K., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Price, R.E., Breidt, F. 2019. Effect of brine acidification on fermentation microbiota and texture quality of cucumbers fermented in calcium chloride brines. Journal of Food Science. 84(5):1129-1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.14600.

Effect of processing and oil type on carotene bioaccessibility in traditional foods prepared with flour and puree from orange-fleshed sweetpotatoes - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Chilungo, S., Muzhingi, T., Truong, V.D., Allen, J. 2019. Effect of processing and oil type on carotene bioaccessibility in traditional foods prepared with flour and puree from orange-fleshed sweetpotatoes. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. 54(6):2055-2063. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14106.

Fermented vegetables as vectors for the relocation of microbial diversity from the environment to the human gut - (Book / Chapter)
Perez Diaz, I.M. 2019. Fermented vegetables as vectors for the relocation of microbial diversity from the environment to the human gut. Book Chapter. p 91-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28737-5_4.

Assessment of the non-lactic acid bacteria microbiota in fresh cucumbers and commercially fermented cucumber pickles brined with 6% NaCl - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Perez Diaz, I.M., Hayes, J.S., Medina, E., Webber, A., Butz, N., Dickey, A., Lu, Z., Azcarate-Peril, M.A. 2019. Assessment of the non-lactic acid bacteria microbiota in fresh cucumbers and commercially fermented cucumber pickles brined with 6% NaCl. Food Microbiology. 77:10-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2018.08.003.

Discovery and quantification of bioactive peptides in fermented cucumber by direct analysis IR-MALDESI mass spectrometry and LC-QQQ-MS - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Fideler, J., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Ekelof, M., Muddiman, D.C. 2019. Discovery and quantification of bioactive peptides in fermented cucumber by direct analysis IR-MALDESI mass spectrometry and LC-QQQ-MS. Journal of Food Chemistry. 271:715-723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.07.187.

Viability of commercial cucumber fermentation without nitrogen or air purging - (Literature Review)
Zhai, Y., Perez Diaz, I.M., Diaz, J.T. 2018. Viability of commercial cucumber fermentation without nitrogen or air purging. Trends in Food Science and Technology. 81:185-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.05.017.

Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of Lactobacillus buchneri strains isolated from spoiled, fermented cucumber - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Daughtry, K., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Sanozky-Dawes, R., Klaenhammer, T.R., Barrangou, R. 2018. Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of Lactobacillus buchneri strains isolated from spoiled, fermented cucumber. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 280:46-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.04.044.

Quality of cucumbers commercially fermented in calcium chloride brine without sodium salts - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
McMurtrie, E.K., Johanningsmeier, S.D. 2018. Quality of cucumbers commercially fermented in calcium chloride brine without sodium salts. Journal of Food Quality. vol. 2018, Article ID 8051435, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8051435.

Physical properties of NaCl-free cucumber fermentation cover brine containing calcium chloride and glycerin and apparent freezing injury of the brined fruits - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Diaz, J.T., Perez Diaz, I.M., Messer, N., Safferman, S.I. 2018. Physical properties of NaCl-free cucumber fermentation cover brine containing calcium chloride and glycerin and apparent freezing injury of the brined fruits. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 42(4):e13582. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.13582.

Evaluation of the use of malic acid decarboxylase-deficient starter culture in NaCl-free cucumber fermentations to reduce bloater incidence - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhai, Y., Perez Diaz, I.M., Diaz, J., Lombardi, R.L., Connelly, L.E. 2018. Evaluation of the use of malic acid decarboxylase-deficient starter culture in NaCl-free cucumber fermentations to reduce bloater incidence. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 124(1):197-208. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13625.

Sweetpotato production, processing and nutritional quality - (Book / Chapter)
Truong, V., Avula, R.Y., Pecota, K., Yencho, G. 2018. Sweetpotato production, processing and nutritional quality. In: Siddiq, M. & Uebersax, M.A, editors. Handbook of Vegetables and Vegetable Processing. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Co. Chapter 35. p. 811-838.

Chemical constituents of Sweetpotato genotypes in relation to textural characteristics of processed French fries - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Sato, A., Truong, V., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Reynolds, R., Pecota, K., Yencho, G. 2018. Chemical constituents of Sweetpotato genotypes in relation to textural characteristics of processed French fries. Journal of Food Science. 83(1):60-73. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.13978.

Fermentation cover brine reformulation for cucumber processing with low salt to reduce bloater defect - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Zhai, Y., Perez Diaz, I.M. 2017. Fermentation cover brine reformulation for cucumber processing with low salt to reduce bloater defect. Journal of Food Science. 82(12):2987-2996. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01558.x.

Microbial fermentation in food preservation - (Book / Chapter)
Perez Diaz, I.M., Gunes Altuntas, E., Juneja, V.K. 2018. Microbial fermentation in food preservation. In: Juneja, V.K., Dwivedi, H.P., Sofos, J.N., editors. Microbial Control and Food Preservation. New York, NY: Springer. p. 281-298. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7556-3_13.

Winterization strategies for bulk storage of pickles - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Diaz, J.T., Perez Diaz, I.M., Simunovic, J., Sandeep, K.P. 2017. Winterization strategies for bulk storage of pickles. Journal of Food Engineering. 212:12-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.03.027.

Yield and consumer acceptability of ‘Evangeline’ sweetpotato for production in North Carolina - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Barkley, S.L., Schultheis, J.R., Chaudhari, S., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Jennings, K.M., Truong, V.D., Monks, D.W. 2017. Yield and consumer acceptability of ‘Evangeline’ sweetpotato for production in North Carolina. HortTechnology. 27(2):281-290.

Reassessment of the succession of lactic acid bacteria in commercial cucumber fermentations and physiological and genomic features associated with their dominance - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Perez Diaz, I.M., Hayes, J.S., Medina-Pradas, E., Anekella, K., Daughtry, K.V., Dieck, S., Levi, M., Price, R., Butz, N., Lu, Z., Azcarte-Peril, M. 2017. Reassessment of the succession of lactic acid bacteria in commercial cucumber fermentations and physiological and genomic features associated with their dominance. Food Microbiology. 63:217-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2016.11.025.

Survival and growth of probiotic lactic acid bacteria in refrigerated pickle products - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Fan, S., Breidt, F., Price, R.E., Perez Diaz, I.M. 2017. Survival and growth of probiotic lactic acid bacteria in refrigerated pickle products. Journal of Food Science. 82(1):167-173.

Direct analysis of triterpenes from high-salt fermented cucumbers using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Ekelof, M., McMurtrie, E., Nazari, M., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Muddiman, D.C. 2017. Direct analysis of triterpenes from high-salt fermented cucumbers using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI). Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry. 28(2):370-375.

Review of vegetable fermentations with particular emphasis on processing modifications, microbial ecology, and spoilage - (Book / Chapter)
Medina Pradas, E., Perez Diaz, I.M., Garrido-Fernandez, A., Arroyo-Lopez, F.N. 2016. Review of vegetable fermentations with particular emphasis on processing modifications, microbial ecology, and spoilage. In: Bevilacqua, A., Rosaria Corbo, M., Sinigaglia, M., editors. The Microbiological Quality of Food. Cambridge, MA: Woodhead Publishing. p. 211-236.

Development and validation of a near-infrared spectroscopy method for the prediction of acrylamide content in French-fried potato - (Peer Reviewed Journal)
Adedipe, O.E., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Truong, V., Yencho, G. 2016. Development and validation of a near-infrared spectroscopy method for the prediction of acrylamide content in French-fried potato. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 64:1850-1860. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b04733.

Metabolomic technologies for improving the quality of food: Practice and promise - (Review Article)
Johanningsmeier, S.D., Harris, G., Klevorn, C. 2016. Metabolomic technologies for improving the quality of food: Practice and promise. Annual Review of Food Science & Technology. 7:413-438. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-food-022814-015721.

Cucumber fermentation - (Book / Chapter)
Franco, W., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Lu, J., Demo, J., Wilson, E., Moeller, L. 2016. Cucumber fermentation. Book Chapter. Chapter 7. p. 107-155.