Development of novel functional fermented goji-based beverages using lactic acid bacteria and yeasts

Development of novel functional fermented goji-based beverages using lactic acid bacteria and yeasts | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Development of novel functional fermented goji-based beverages using lactic acid bacteria and yeasts Francisco Pérez-Nevado, Rubén Magro Rubio, Mª Belén Ramos Alguijo, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9066402/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Goji berry fruits ( Lycium barbarum L.) are recognized for their health benefits due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as organic acids, polyphenols, and carotenoids. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize new functional fermented goji berry juice beverages with lactic acid bacteria ( Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ), and yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisae ), applied in both monoculture and co-culture. All tested strains exhibited good growth properties in goji juice, maintaining high viability throughout the 15-day fermentation period. While L. plantarum drove a significant increase in acidity and phenolic content–enhancing antioxidant capacity of the fermented beverages–yeast fermentations were characterized by a sharp decrease in sugars. Carotenoid compounds increased mainly in yeast monocultures, remaining stable in co-cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Volatile profiling identified 24 compounds, dominated by acetic acid, ethyl octanoate and decanoate. The chemical composition of the beverages influenced the sensory profile, resulting in reduced sweetness and significant acidic notes, particularly in L. plantarum fermented juices. While this study successfully produced a novel functional fermented goji-based beverage, sensory analysis revealed a margin for improvement. This suggests that there is high potential for these innovative beverages to succeed through targeted product optimization, addressing the growing consumer interest in new functional fermented non-alcoholic drinks. fermentation functional beverages probiotics bioactive compounds health benefits Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryTable1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 29 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 23 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 17 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 17 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9066402","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":610989807,"identity":"d6358bb7-3554-4477-92bb-d9cd66ad6bbd","order_by":0,"name":"Francisco Pérez-Nevado","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAoUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBAC9gYg8YEkLTwHGBgYZ5CshZmHNC3Szcce27bdkTM4wHyYOAfyyBxLN85te2Ys2cCWJkGUFnuJHDPp3LbDif0MPGZEOkwi/5u0Zdvh+jYG/s9EOkwih02ase1wAj8DDwNxDgP6xUyy59xhw5nNbGZEapFufibxo+ywvMHx5sdERincZGbi1CNrGQWjYBSMglGACwAAn4QoObUrZsMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad de Extremadura","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Francisco","middleName":"","lastName":"Pérez-Nevado","suffix":""},{"id":610989808,"identity":"ee507853-f562-438e-a18a-ae019926ff92","order_by":1,"name":"Rubén Magro Rubio","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario de Extremadura (INTAEX), Valorización Vegetal y Nuevas Tecnologías","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rubén","middleName":"Magro","lastName":"Rubio","suffix":""},{"id":610989809,"identity":"c9aa2d98-1ed4-4c95-acdb-e55241a9e7a7","order_by":2,"name":"Mª Belén Ramos Alguijo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario de Extremadura (INTAEX), Valorización Vegetal y Nuevas Tecnologías","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mª","middleName":"Belén Ramos","lastName":"Alguijo","suffix":""},{"id":610989810,"identity":"d662f664-6d74-46f5-8473-63d73354f2f5","order_by":3,"name":"J. 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The aim of this study was to develop and characterize new functional fermented goji berry juice beverages with lactic acid bacteria (\u003cem\u003eLactiplantibacillus plantarum\u003c/em\u003e), and yeast (\u003cem\u003eSaccharomyces cerevisae\u003c/em\u003e), applied in both monoculture and co-culture. All tested strains exhibited good growth properties in goji juice, maintaining high viability throughout the 15-day fermentation period. While \u003cem\u003eL. plantarum\u003c/em\u003e drove a significant increase in acidity and phenolic content\u0026ndash;enhancing antioxidant capacity of the fermented beverages\u0026ndash;yeast fermentations were characterized by a sharp decrease in sugars. Carotenoid compounds increased mainly in yeast monocultures, remaining stable in co-cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Volatile profiling identified 24 compounds, dominated by acetic acid, ethyl octanoate and decanoate. 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