Enhancing Bread’s Benefits: Investigating the Influence of Boosted Native Sourdough on FODMAP Modulation and Antioxidant Potential in Wheat Bread

This study aimed to assess the impact of bacterial species and fermentation time on wheat bread quality, FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) content, and antioxidant activity of wheat bread, utilizing boosted native sourdough as a novel approach to enhance bread production. The incorporation of lactic acid bacteria strains, i.e. Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in a 72-hour fermentation period significantly reduced FODMAP content to less than 0.1 g/100g of wheat bread. Extending the fermentation time notably increased antioxidant activity, with L. plantarum-inoculated sourdough showing the highest enhancement in antioxidant properties among the tested bacterial strains. While the treatment yielded positive effects on FODMAP modulation and antioxidant activity, it is crucial to acknowledge the impact on some organoleptic properties, such as aroma and flavour, which, despite good overal bread quality have changed as a result of prolonged fermentation time. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of bacterial species selection and fermentation duration for FODMAP reduction and antioxidant enhancement. The results contribute to the understanding of sourdough-based interventions in bread production, offering insights for the development of healthier and nutritionally improved wheat bread products.