Planta Med 2013; 79 - PI50
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1352139

Solid state fermentation of the winter savory (Satureja montana L) plant: changes of chemical composition and antimicrobial activity

G Juodeikiene 1, D Cizeikiene 1, A Maruška 2, E Bartkiene 3, L Basinskiene 1, O Ragazinskiene 4, D Vidmantiene 1
  • 1Kaunas University of Technology, Department of Food Technology, Kaunas (LT 50254), Lithuania
  • 2Vytautas Magnus University, Department of Bio-chemistry and Bio-technology, Kaunas (LT 44404), Lithuania
  • 3Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Department of Food Safety and Animal Hygiene, Kaunas (LT 47181), Lithuania
  • 4Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas Botanical Garden, Kaunas (LT 46324), Lithuania

Solid State Fermentation (SSF), which consists of the microbial growth and product formation on solid particles in the absence of an aqueous phase, has recently attracted special attention of researchers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of winter savory plant fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) by using SSF.

Dried winter savory plant was fermented under SSF conditions for 72 hours using Lactobacillus and Pediococcus genera belonging to isolated LAB from spontaneous Lithuanian rye sourdoughs. The essential oils were extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide and the composition of volatile compounds was analyzed by means of GC-MS. The antimicrobial activity of extracts was tested using an agar well diffusion assay method.

The main compounds found in the headspace of the winter savory plant were carvacrol 38.06%, thymoquinone 10.92%, thymol methyl ether 8.17%, p-cymene 7.54%, caryophyllene 7.29%, whereas in fermented products the main compound was carvacrol. The amount of this compound increased up to 61.28 – 72.13%. After fermentation the relative amounts of α-terpineol, thymol, carvacrol, β-elemene, δ-cadinene, caryophyllene oxide and cadin-4-en-10-ol in the supercritical carbon dioxide extracts were increased. After fermentation with P. pentosaceus new compounds were determined: β-selinene, α-muurolene, β-farnesene and cubebol. Moreover after fermentation with P. acidilactici p-cymen-8-ol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, naphth-1-ol and n-tetradecane were determined. Essential oils extracts from the fermented winter savory products showed a higher antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas spp. strains and B. subtilis in comparison with the non-fermented plant.

The study highlights the possibility to use SSF for developing natural flavored products that besides flavoring have an antimicrobial effect.

The research was funded by a grant (project SVE-09/2011 BIOFITAS) from the Research Council of Lithuania.