Effect of pulsed electric field on physicochemical properties of rice and black gram fermented batter

This study aimed to investigate the effect of PEF treatment (5, 20, and 35 kV/cm) on functional, physicochemical, and microbiological properties of rice and black gram fermented batter. The PEF treatment efficaciously inhibited the total bacterial, yeast, and mold count from 1 x 10(7) to 1.8 x 10(5) CFU/gm and 3.7 x 10(3) to 4.1 x 10(2) CFU/gm, respectively at 35 kV/cm. PEF treatment significantly improved protein solubility, reducing sugar, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity in the fermented batter. Herschel-Bulkley model best described the change in apparent viscosity which significantly decreased in PEF treated samples. Further, FTIR analysis of the PEF treated sample exhibited an increase in the area of percentage in each functional group. The results of the study suggest that the potential of PEF treatment at 20 kV/cm enhanced bioactivity and bioavailability of protein, and carbohydrate content as well as impeded the microorganisms to avoid over-fermentation. Practical applications PEF technology effectively inhibits or inactivates the microorganisms in rice and black gram fermented batter and is highly suitable to avoid over-fermentation without major changes in the physicochemical properties of batter. Therefore, this study promotes inevitable scientific information that could further investigate the industrial production of fermented rice and black gram batter with targeted physicochemical properties through PEF treatment. This also creates new opportunities for food industries to strategically diversify microbial arrest aspects in the commercial fermented batter.