Vitamin B12 synthesis in sauerkraut juice via Propionibacterium freudenreichii globosum fermentation

Vitamin B12 is an essential micronutrient predominantly found in animal-derived foods. This study investigated co-fermentation of cabbage with Propionibacterium freudenreichii in addition to naturally occurring bacteria to synthesise vitamin B12. Specifically, this work evaluated sauerkraut juice, an underutilised food, as a source of vitamin B12 and short chain fatty acids. The control ferment displayed insignificant changes, perhaps owing to the lack of sufficient starter cultures in the raw material. In agreement with the hypothesis, the enriched ferment yielded a juice containing 1.62 µg/100 mL of vitamin B12, 7.1 mM of acetate and 12.3 mM of propionate. The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) of B12 is 2.4 µg; a 100-mL serve of enriched ferment provides 68% of this requirement. • Propionibacterium f. successfully grew on the cabbage substrate • Propionibacterium f. -rich sauerkraut expressed 1.6 µg/100 ml of vitamin B12 • Propionibacterium f. -rich sauerkraut expressed 7.1 mM acetate and 12 mM propionate