Potential of Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum 20174 for Vitamin B12 Production in Pineapple: An Enhanced Nutritional Quality and Storage Stability of Processed Jelly

Background: Vitamin B12 is the micronutrient, present naturally in animal products. The present study was conducted with the aim of developing a naturally fortified vitamin B12 rich fruit product, which can easily be consumed by vegan population. Methods: Pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit pulp was fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 20174 to produce vitamin B12 rich jelly. The selected microbial strain grew well in pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit pulp matrix. The physiochemical properties and nutritional content were analysed and compared for the jellies prepared from fermented (fermented pineapple jelly or FPJ) and spontaneous fermented (control pineapple jelly or CPJ) pineapple pulp. Both CPJ and FPJ were packed and stored for 30 days at low (4 ºC) and ambient (30 °C) temperature conditions, and were subjected to analysis at 10 days intervals. Results: The Total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and reducing sugars were higher in CPJ than FPJ. The FPJ contained 8.17 µg vitamin B12/100 g, while it was not detected in CPJ. There was no microbial growth detected in FPJ throughout the storage period when stored at 4 ºC, rendering it safe for consumption up to 30 days at both the storage temperatures. The decrease in scores of various sensory attributes during storage was little and the developed FPJ was still in the “liked very much” category throughout the storage period. The vitamin B12 content of FPJ was stable during storage and sufficient enough to fulfil an individual’s daily requirement. Conclusion: The developed fermented pineapple jelly can be recommended as an excellent vegan source of vitamin B12.