Abstract

Lactic acid fermentation is a promising approach for enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of certain underutilised food plants. In this study, Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Garcinia kola were subjected to controlled fermentation by a probiotic lactic acid bacteria strain identified as Weissella paramesenteroides by 16S ribosomal gene sequencing. The resulting matrices were analysed to assess their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using the DPPH and protein denaturation inhibition tests, respectively. The fermentation process significantly increased the content of proteins and minerals while reducing anti-nutritional factors such as phytates and oxalates. These biochemical changes correlated with enhanced antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory potential in vitro. The antioxidant activity of Hydrocotyle bonariensis increased from 60.74±4.09% to 83.55±0.68%. Anti-inflammatory activity also increased after fermentation, reaching 72.96±0.89% for Hydrocotyle bonariensis and 98.11±2.67% for Garcinia kola. Fermentation also significantly increased levels of protein, vitamins (A, D and E) and essential minerals, such as magnesium, zinc, sodium and potassium. These nutritional and functional improvements suggest that incorporating Hydrocotyle bonariensis and Garcinia kola based fermented products into a diet for the prevention of hypertension and other metabolic diseases could improve intestinal health due to the beneficial effects of lactic fermentation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.