Influence of the initial microbiota on eggplant shibazuke pickle and eggplant juice fermentation

Abstract

The findings shown in this study provide insight into the microbial succession during spontaneous pickle fermentation and the role of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in eggplant pickle production. Moreover, the novel method of using filter-sterilized vegetable juice with an artificial microbiota to emulate spontaneous fermentation can be applied to other spontaneously fermented products. This approach allows for the evaluation of the effect of specific initial microbiota in the absence of plant-associated bacteria from raw materials potentially promoting a greater understanding of microbial behavior in complex microbial ecosystems during vegetable fermentation.