Microbiota and metabolome of un-started and started Greek-type fermentation of Bella di Cerignola table olives

This study aimed to utilize an “omics” approach to evaluate the ability of selected lactobacilli and yeasts to improve the fermentation process of Bella di Cerignola table olives. Four types of fermentations were performed at the pilot-plant scale: un-started fermented olives used as a control (Ctrl); olives started with a commercial Lactobacillus plantarum strain (S); commercial L. plantarum strain and autochthonous yeast Wickeramomyces anomalus DiSSPA73 (SY); and L. plantarum, W. anomalus DiSSPA73, autochthonous L. plantarum DiSSPA1A7 and Lactobacillus pentosus DiSSPA7 (SYL). Compared to Ctrl, S, SY, SYL showed a higher acidification (P < 0.05) of the brine, which reached a pH value of 4.49 after one day of fermentation. The microbiota of unfermented olives and brine after one day of fermentation was primarily composed of Enterobacteria that belonged to Hafnia alvei and Methylobacterium. However, L. plantarum and L. pentosus dominated the total and metabolically active microbiota of the Ctrl brines and olives at the end of the fermentation. The use of lactobacilli and W. anomalus DiSSPA73 as a starter culture markedly affected the microbiota of the brines after one day of fermentation. The number of species (OTU) and the results of an alpha diversity analysis indicated that the microbial diversity of the brines was markedly simplified by the S, SY and, in particular, SYL fermentations. According to the lowest biodiversity, S, SY and SYL samples showed the lowest abundance of Proteobacteria, including Enterobacteriacea, Lactococcus lactis, Propionibacterium acidipropionici and Clostridium. The lactobacilli and W. anomalus DiSSPA73 used in this study markedly affected the amounts of free amino acids, phenolic and volatile organic compounds. Both a texture profile analysis and a sensory evaluation showed the highest appreciation for all of the started table olives. As shown through microbiological, biochemical, and sensory analyses, an accelerated fermentation of Bella di Cerignola table olives was achieved using the selected lactobacilli and yeast strains.