Optimization of culture medium for Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DTA-83 to produce biopreservatives enhancing meat product durability

The study aimed to produce a biopreservative using Lacticaseibacillus paracasei DTA-83 in an axenic culture system with an optimized medium derived from de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) broth. The effects of peptone, yeast extract, glucose, tribasic ammonium citrate, sodium acetate, magnesium sulfate, and dipotassium phosphate on biomass production and medium acidification by L. paracasei DTA-83 were evaluated using a fractional factorial design, followed by a central composite rotatable design. The biopreservative's ability to improve the durability of vacuum-packed cooked sausages, bacon, and sliced cooked ham, produced on an industrial pilot scale, was assessed using the microbial growth predictor MicroLab_ShelfLife. Biopreservatives produced with original MRS broth and untreated samples served as controls. Results showed glucose, yeast extract, and dipotassium phosphate were crucial for both biomass production and acidification. Peptone and sodium acetate significantly influenced biomass production, while tribasic ammonium citrate mainly affected acidification. Magnesium sulfate had no significant impact on either. The optimized biopreservative significantly enhanced meat durability compared to non-optimized and control groups, with a synergistic effect observed when combined with cold storage. These findings suggest that L. paracasei DTA-83 has distinct nutritional needs for biomass production versus acidification, requiring different media compositions for inoculum preparation and biopreservative production. This approach could also be extended to complex media, such as fermented plant extracts or byproducts, in future research.