Natural Bioactive Compounds in Organic and Conventional Fermented Food

Abstract

Compared to conventional agriculture, organic farming is believed to provide a higher nutritional and health value in its products due to the elimination of harmful contaminants (pesticides, nitrates, heavy metals, etc.). Numerous studies have been conducted to show how the production system affects the quality of food in terms of the content of bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to compare the content of some bioactive compounds (vitamin C, β-carotene, Ca content) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) number and their bacteriocinogenic activity in organic and conventional fermented food. Although the results do not provide an unambiguous conclusion regarding the superiority of one production system over the other, the LAB number in organic pickled carrot juice, sauerkraut, yogurt, and kefir was higher than in their conventional counterparts. Their bacteriocinogenic potential against selected pathogens was also higher in most organic products. Organic vegetables contained significantly more vitamin C, and the calcium content in the organic yogurt was higher compared to the conventional version of the product. Relatively similar concentrations of ß-carotene for both production systems were found in carrot juice, while in organic pickled beet juice, there was five-fold less ß-carotene than in conventional juice.