Enhancing the quality of mango juices through Lacticaseibacillus paracasei fermentation: unveiling aroma and taste characteristics.

Abstract

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, widely recognized for its safety, is frequently used as a starter culture in fermented foods. In the present study, the differences in the physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds of mango juice fermented with L. paracasei FJG2339 were evaluated. The results displayed that L. paracasei FJG2339 significantly reduced the total sugar content of mango juice, but slightly increased the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids. Meanwhile, the ABTS [i.e. 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)], DPPH (i.e. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and OH radical scavenging abilities of mango juice were increased by 28%, 29% and 48%, respectively, after L. paracasei FJG2339 fermentation. Flavor profiles analysis suggested that L. paracasei FJG2339 facilitated the production of acids, alcohols and esters in mango juice, which endow it with a distinct aroma. Untargeted metabolomics analysis displayed that L. paracasei FJG2339 fermentation significantly shifted 207 non-volatile compounds (containing 123 up-regulated non-volatile substances and 84 down-regulated non-volatile substances) of mango juice, which are mainly involved in animo acid metabolism (such as alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, and tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis). These results indicate that L. paracasei FJG2339 fermentation enhances the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity and metabolic profiles of mango juices. This study has important implications for the application of fermentation technology of fruit juices. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.