Fermentation Of Shiikuwasha (Citrus Depressa Hayata) Pomace By Lactic Acid Bacteria To Generate New Functional Materials

Citrus depressa Hayata, known as Shiikuwasha, has a high content of flavonoids (e.g. nobiletin) and beneficial effects on human health. Because Shiikuwasha is mainly consumed as squeezed juice, the pomace is usually discarded, despite its high content of nobiletin. Here, we developed Shiikuwasha pomace as a functional food through fermentation with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus plantarum E58 was able to ferment Shiikuwasha pomace. This strain had good survival at low pH and was able to adhere to porcine gastric mucin, a beneficial property of probiotics. Analysis with a taste-sensing system indicated that Shiikuwasha pomace fermented by this strain, compared with unfermented pomace, was more acidic but less umami, and had less of an anionic bitter aftertaste. The fermentation did not decrease the nobiletin content. Thus, fermented Shiikuwasha pomace is a new functional by-product that contains both flavonoids and probiotics and may facilitate waste reduction.