Tejuino, a Traditional Fermented Beverage: Composition, Safety Quality, and Microbial Identification

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the chemical and microbial composition and characterize volatile compounds from the artisanal and commercial Tejuino beverage. For this, eight samples are analyzed (four artisanal and four commercial). The chemical and microbiological quality is determined by standard methods, and volatile compounds are determined by solid-phase microextraction. Overall, the physicochemical composition and microbiological quality are higher for artisanal Tejuino (p < 0.05). The pH values were 3.20 and 3.62, and 0.76 and 0.46 meq of lactic acid for artisanal and commercial Tejuino, respectively. With volatile compounds analyzed, esters, benzenes, and aldehydes were predominant; meanwhile, ethanol was a volatile compound with the highest concentration for all samples. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Limosilactobacillus fermentum were identified in artisanal Tejuino; yeasts of the Pichia genera and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, for commercial Tejuino, and Enterococcus genus were identified in both samples. The characterization of both types of Tejuino allows us to update the information available on this important Mexican beverage. In addition, the isolation of lactic acid bacteria, as representative bacteria of both drinks, offers an area of opportunity to know the potential functionality of these bacteria in traditional fermented products.

A Model for Probiotic Fermented Food Production

“…In these cases, it might be more ideal to use a Using the findings from our model, we hypothesize that vegetable fermented products (e.g., natto, sauerkraut, pickles) with fermentation times less than one month and with relatively low sugar content need to have a bigger inoculum (~10 7 CFU/g) to reach an adequate amount per serving size after a month (e.g., 45 g for natto or 30 g sauerkraut) (Figure 4); this hypothesis is supported by the LAB growth curve reported by Ghimire et al in the natural fermentation of Gundruk, a Himalayan fermented vegetable dish [80]. In contrast, fermented beverages (bread and fruit kvass, pulque, tejuino, water kefir, kombucha) [81][82][83][84][85][86][87] characterized by larger serving sizes (~100 g) and greater sugar content can have a smaller inoculum (~10 6 CFU/g). Milk cultures with a large serving size (e.g., yogurt, kefir, sour cream, labne) or with a smaller serving size (~25 g) but a ripening period of less than six months due to high sugar content and high bacterial growth should be similar [88,89].…”

Looking inside Mexican Traditional Food as Sources of Synbiotics for Developing Novel Functional Products

“…Recently, bacterial strains Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans, and Enterococcus hirae were identified in commercial and artisanal tejuino, a beverage elaborated with germinated maize [38]. According to Silva, Ramos et al 2017, when analyzing the survival of bacterial strains isolated from this food matrix on a human gastrointestinal model, only Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc citreum displayed antagonistic activity towards foodborne pathogens, short-chain fatty acids production, and adhesion to HT-29 human colon cell line [38,39].…”

“…Recently, bacterial strains Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans, and Enterococcus hirae were identified in commercial and artisanal tejuino, a beverage elaborated with germinated maize [38]. According to Silva, Ramos et al 2017, when analyzing the survival of bacterial strains isolated from this food matrix on a human gastrointestinal model, only Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc citreum displayed antagonistic activity towards foodborne pathogens, short-chain fatty acids production, and adhesion to HT-29 human colon cell line [38,39]. In other world regions such as Africa, "koko and ogi" also maize-based preparations, have been observed for their bacterial contents (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Enterococcus faecium, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Levilactobacillus brevis), which are able to survive the GIT conditions, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria and reducing diarrhea [47].…”