Buffer models for pH and acid changes occurring in cucumber juice fermented with Lactiplantibacillus pentosus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Authors: Breidt, Frederick; Skinner, Caitlin

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2022
Publication Date: 6/10/2022
Citation: Breidt, F., Skinner, C.R. 2022. Buffer models for pH and acid changes occurring in cucumber juice fermented with Lactiplantibacillus pentosus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Journal of Food Protection. 85(9):1273-1281. https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-22-068.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-22-068

Interpretive Summary: The acidity (pH) in fermenting vegetables is important for food safety but is hard to predict because of unknown compounds that control or buffer the pH of the fermentation brines. The objective of this research was to develop models from cucumber fermentation brine systems linking pH changes to acids during fermentation. Fermentation of juice made with different size cucumbers (which are known to result in different fermentation biochemistry) was done to validate the models. The results showed that pH could be predicted from acid changes during fermentation using the models. The differences for all observed and predicted pH values of the fermentation samples, based on measured acid concentrations, was statistically very small, indicating the models gave a good fit to the data. These models may have application for assessing food safety by linking pH to fermentation acid concentrations.

Technical Abstract: The pH changes that occur during the fermentation of vegetables by lactic acid bacteria depend on the production of weak acids and on the buffering of the fermentation medium. Undefined buffering components of fermentation media make estimates of pH from acid production difficult. The objective of this research was to develop buffer models for a model cucumber fermentation brine system linking pH changes to acid concentrations. A novel titration method was used to measure buffer capacity in cucumber juice medium made from three grades of pickling cucumbers based on diameter. Fermentation of juice made from cucumbers of different sizes resulted in differences in fermentation biochemistry. The results of modeling indicated that the pH of the medium after 24 and 48 h of fermentation by heterolactic Leuconostoc mesenteroides and homolactic Lactiplantibacillus pentosus could be predicted from acid concentrations based on the measured buffer capacity of the corresponding unfermented medium. The differences for all observed and predicted pH values of the fermentation samples, based on measured acid concentrations, had a root mean square error of 0.064 pH units. The buffer models included a quantitative measure of the effect on pH of the malolactic reaction caused by the lactic acid bacteria. These models may have application for assessing the influence of a variety of lactic acid bacteria buffering reactions on pH and fermentation ecology by linking pH to fermentation acid concentrations.