TY - JOUR
T1 - Upcycling of spent media from lactic acid bacteria as a value-added application against foodborne pathogens in vegetable processing industries
AU - Jang, Min Ji
AU - Kim, Ho Myeong
AU - Haque, Md Ariful
AU - Lin, Carol Sze Ki
AU - Park, Hae Woong
AU - Ku, Seockmo
PY - 2025/10/15
Y1 - 2025/10/15
N2 - This study explored the utilisation of culture waste broth from probiotic production, specifically a Lactiplantibacillus plantarum cell-free supernatant (CFS). The decontamination ability of Lb. plantarum CFS against foodborne pathogens, specifically Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes, was explored. The antimicrobial activity of CFS alone was negligible, despite its organic acid content, due to the presence of buffers and mildly acidic properties. However, a mild (45 °C) heat treatment overcame these limitations and supported the synergistic application of CFS and mild heat (CFS-MH) as a novel decontamination approach. CFS-MH reduced S.Typhimurium counts by 5.14 ± 0.16 log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL within 6 min. This inactivation effect was synergistic, as neither CFS nor mild heat treatment alone reduced S. typhimurium counts. However, CFS-MH did not eliminate L. monocytogenes. On radish sprouts, aerobic plate counts and coliform counts decreased by 2.19 and 2.98 log CFU/mL, respectively, after a 3-min CFS-MH treatment. This pathogen reduction was sustained over a 7-day refrigerated storage period. Microbiome analysis revealed a decrease in Enterobacteriaceae immediately following CFS-MH treatment. These findings suggest that byproducts from probiotic production, particularly waste broths, can be repurposed as control agents for foodborne pathogens when used with mild heat. The study also evaluated the economic potential of using waste broth as a sanitiser for reducing foodborne pathogens, as well as current research trends, to propose a sustainable process design. Herein, an upcycling strategies for prebiotic waste broth are presented that offer both a method for pathogen control and an economically valuable upcycling opportunity. Collectively, the findings provide a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing the sustainability of probiotic production by integrating up−/recycling processes throughout the waste broth cycle. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
AB - This study explored the utilisation of culture waste broth from probiotic production, specifically a Lactiplantibacillus plantarum cell-free supernatant (CFS). The decontamination ability of Lb. plantarum CFS against foodborne pathogens, specifically Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes, was explored. The antimicrobial activity of CFS alone was negligible, despite its organic acid content, due to the presence of buffers and mildly acidic properties. However, a mild (45 °C) heat treatment overcame these limitations and supported the synergistic application of CFS and mild heat (CFS-MH) as a novel decontamination approach. CFS-MH reduced S.Typhimurium counts by 5.14 ± 0.16 log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL within 6 min. This inactivation effect was synergistic, as neither CFS nor mild heat treatment alone reduced S. typhimurium counts. However, CFS-MH did not eliminate L. monocytogenes. On radish sprouts, aerobic plate counts and coliform counts decreased by 2.19 and 2.98 log CFU/mL, respectively, after a 3-min CFS-MH treatment. This pathogen reduction was sustained over a 7-day refrigerated storage period. Microbiome analysis revealed a decrease in Enterobacteriaceae immediately following CFS-MH treatment. These findings suggest that byproducts from probiotic production, particularly waste broths, can be repurposed as control agents for foodborne pathogens when used with mild heat. The study also evaluated the economic potential of using waste broth as a sanitiser for reducing foodborne pathogens, as well as current research trends, to propose a sustainable process design. Herein, an upcycling strategies for prebiotic waste broth are presented that offer both a method for pathogen control and an economically valuable upcycling opportunity. Collectively, the findings provide a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing the sustainability of probiotic production by integrating up−/recycling processes throughout the waste broth cycle. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
KW - Fermentation waste broth
KW - Food safety
KW - Foodborne pathogens
KW - Lactic acid bacteria
KW - Probiotic production
KW - Sustainability
KW - Upcycling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105013740225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105013740225&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2025.167271
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2025.167271
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 522
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
M1 - 167271
ER -
