Academic Journal
Valorization of fruit by-products: Vitamin B12 fortification in fruit pomace using a co-culture of propionic and lactic acid bacteria.
| Title: | Valorization of fruit by-products: Vitamin B12 fortification in fruit pomace using a co-culture of propionic and lactic acid bacteria. |
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| Authors: | Piwowarek K; Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska St. 159c, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: kamil_piwowarek@sggw.edu.pl., Makowska Z; Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska St. 159c, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: z.makowska60@gmail.com., Kowalczyk M; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego St. 5a, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: mk@ibb.waw.pl., Kern-Zdanowicz I; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego St. 5a, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: iza@ibb.waw.pl., Ruzik L; Chair of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego St. 3, 00-664, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: lena.ruzik@pw.edu.pl., Synowiec A; Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska St. 159c, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: alicja_synowiec@sggw.edu.pl. |
| Source: | International journal of food microbiology [Int J Food Microbiol] 2026 Oct 02; Vol. 459, pp. 111910. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 15. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Science Publishers Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8412849 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-3460 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01681605 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Food Microbiol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier Science Publishers, c1984- |
| MeSH Terms: | Vitamin B 12*/biosynthesis , Vitamin B 12*/metabolism , Fruit*/microbiology , Fruit*/chemistry , Propionibacterium freudenreichii*/metabolism , Lactiplantibacillus plantarum*/metabolism , Food, Fortified*/analysis , Propionibacterium*/metabolism, Fragaria/microbiology ; Propionates/metabolism ; Coculture Techniques ; Fermentation ; Food Microbiology |
| Abstract: | The agri-food industry generates large quantities of by-products, e.g., fruit pomace from juice and wine production, which represent underutilized sources of valuable compounds. The popularity of plant-based foods is steadily increasing due to growing concerns about human health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability, highlighting the need for vitamin B12 fortification - plants cannot synthesize this essential micronutrient. This challenge is particularly relevant given the growing prevalence of B12 deficiency and its associated health risks. The aim of this study was to enrich pomace from blue honeysuckle berries, strawberries, and grapes with B12 via co-fermentation using Propionibacterium freudenreichii DSM 20271 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 10241 (selected based on screening tests, including the co-existence test of P. freudenreichii-different LAB species), and to optimize the pomace matrix for cobalamin biosynthesis in co-culture conditions. The pomace matrices were characterized with respect to carbon and nitrogen sources, as well as cobalamin biosynthesis precursors, including cobalt, riboflavin, and niacin. Nearly complete utilization of available carbon sources was observed in all matrices. B12 (13.91-39.71 μg/kg) and propionic acid (0.73-4.31 g/kg) were produced in all pomace-based media. Optimization experiments indicated that strawberry and grape pomace were the most suitable substrates for B12 synthesis, whereas propionic acid production was primarily associated with strawberry pomace. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using co-cultures of propionic acid and lactic acid bacteria to enrich fruit pomace with B12. This approach offers a promising strategy for developing B12-fortified plant foods from fermented and edible fruit pomace, thereby supporting sustainable development and zero-waste principles. (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: B12; Co-culture; Fruit pomace; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; Propionibacterium freudenreichii; Propionic acid; Waste management |
| Substance Nomenclature: | P6YC3EG204 (Vitamin B 12) 0 (Propionates) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260617 Date Completed: 20260711 Latest Revision: 20260711 |
| Update Code: | 20260712 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111910 |
| PMID: | 42308776 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1879-3460 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111910 |