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The aim of this study was to evaluate the probiotic properties of six thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria isolated from cooked meat products. The bacteria were typed, by determination of the DNA sequence of their 16S rRNA coding genes, as one Enterococcus faecium (UAM1 strain) and five Pediococcus pentosaceus (UAM2-UAM6 strains). Under gastric stress conditions the viability of the Pediococci decreased more than five-fold, whereas E. faecium showed a high resistance (61% survival). Exposure to small intestine stress did not drastically affect the survival of any of the strains (less than one-fold decrease), which were able to grow in the presence of 0.3% bile. A hydrophilic surface profile was observed, with higher affinity for chloroform than for xylene. Strains showed high levels of auto-aggregation as well as co-aggregation with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. The adherence of E faecium UAM1 to human Caco-2 cells (around 20%) was significantly higher than that obtained with the P. pentosaceus strains (2%-5%) and Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (6%). The overall results indicate that E. faecium UAM1, has probiotic properties that predict its capability to colonize in competition with pathogens in the intestinal tract. This bacterium deserves further investigation for its potential as a component of functional food.

Fruit peels are agroindustrial co-products that can be employed as a source of dietary fiber and bioactive compounds with an effect on the physicochemical and structural characteristics of cooked meat products. The potential of these fruit peels as a functional ingredient in cooked meat products was evaluated. Yield, moisture, expressible moisture, oxidative rancidity and textural profile analysis, besides electron scanning microscopy, were determined in cooked sausages inoculated with thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria. Cactus pear peen flour increased the moisture in the sausages, but in inoculated sausages, lower expressible moisture was observed, resulting in harder but less cohesive and less resilient structure. Cactus pear peel flour decreased the oxidative rancidity during storage. Microstructure analysis showed that the production of exopolysaccharides by the employed strain could explain the differences in the texture results. The use of fruit peels as a source of bioactive compounds (fiber, antioxidants and prebiotic) enhanced the development of thermotolerant lactic acid bacteria in cooked sausages during storage.

The sensory analysis of new products is essential for subsequent acceptance by consumers, moreover in the functional food market. The acceptance and food neophobia of cooked sausages formulated with cactus pear fiber or pineapple pear fiber, as functional ingredient, was complemented with a sensory characterization by R-index and qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA). Female consumers aged between 40 and 50 years showed greater interest in the consumption of healthy foods, with a higher level of food neophobia towards pineapple fiber sausages. R-index for taste was higher in pineapple fiber samples. Cactus pear fiber samples presented higher R-index score for texture. In QDA, color, sweet, astringent and bitter flavors, pork meat smell and a firm and plastic texture were significant, with a good relationship (38%) between the evaluated attributes. Sensory attributes are important on the acceptance and neophobia of functional foods like cooked sausages with fruit peel fiber as functional ingredient.

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