The aim of this work was to test native microbial strains and fruits for brewing, with a multidisciplinary approach for a sustainable production linked to the territory. Pediococcus acidilactici B5 and Hanseniaspora uvarum L2 strains were isolated from apricot Bisucciu fruits, a Sardinian local variety (Prunus armeniaca L.), and P. acidilactici B5 was used to ferment a sterile apricot Bisucciu puree, which was then added to a malt wort. The H. uvarum L2 strain and the industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae US-05 were used sequentially to ferment a portion of this wort (M2); a control was carried out with an industrial yeast, S. cerevisiae T-58 (T58). Beer standard quality parameters were studied and a sensorial analysis performed in the beers obtained from the two fermentations. Intermediate and end molecular products were characterized by proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) for glucidic, organic acids and amino acids and by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS) for volatile profiles. M2 and T58 samples showed differences in color, foam stability and in the carbohydrates, acids and amino acids profiles. The highest concentrations of ethyl acetate were found in M2, whereas a high concentration of 3-methylbutan-1-ol characterized T58. Sensory analysis highlighted differences in flavor, astringency and balance between the two beers studied.

Surplus bread accounts for a significant proportion of food waste in many countries. The focus of this study was twofold: firstly, to investigate the use of carasau bread residue as a sourdough substrate, and secondly, to reuse this sourdough into a new carasau baking process. Selected lactic acid bacteria (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) and yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Wickerhamomyces anomalus) were used to inoculate three substrates: bread residue (S1), bread residue supplemented with durum wheat middlings (S2), and semolina (S3). Sourdoughs were refreshed for five days by backslopping, and microbiological and physicochemical analyses were performed. Results indicated that incorporating wheat middlings into bread residue enhanced microbial performance, as evidence by a decrease in pH from 6.0 to around 4.5 compared to using bread residue alone as a substrate. Carasau bread produced with the sourdough derived from bread residue and wheat middlings exhibited comparable physicochemical properties to commercial baker’s yeast carasau bread, but had better sensory properties, scoring a mean acceptability of 7.0 versus 6.0 for baker’s yeast bread. These results show that bread residue supplemented with wheat middlings can serve as a sourdough substrate, allowing its reuse in the baking process to produce high-quality carasau bread and promote the circular economy.

Wheat milling by-products are nutrient-rich sidestreams whose valorization is limited by low phenolic bioaccessibility and high phytate levels. This study investigates how sourdough fermentation using a mixed starter (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus) modulates the functional properties of whole wheat germ (WWG), defatted wheat germ (DWG), defatted wheat bran (DWB), and wheat middlings (WMs), tested alone or blended with 20% semolina. Fermentation performed shifts in a substrate-dependent manner: it reduced phytic acid content by up to 60% in WWG and WMs while increasing free amino nitrogen (FAN) up to 2.6 mg/g d.b. Conversely, defatted matrices (DWG and DWB) exhibited structural resistance, showing stagnation in both phytate degradation and FAN accumulation, likely due to industrial hexane-treatment limitations. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) assessed via the extraction-free QUENCHER method revealed that conventional solvent extraction underestimates the bioactive potential by 40–60%. Fermentation significantly enhanced radical-scavenging activity across all matrices. However, ferric-reducing power (FRAP) increased exclusively in WWG and WMs (up to 18–19 µmol Fe (II)E/g d.b.), proving strictly dependent on phytic acid degradation. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed a clear trend toward convergence in the functional profiles of heterogeneous matrices during long-term bioprocessing. Controlled sourdough fermentation represents an effective strategy to upcycle specific cereal sidestreams into functional ingredients, though industrial defatting constraints require structural optimization.

This study evaluated the use of four wheat milling co-products, i.e., whole wheat germ (WWG), defatted wheat germ (DWG), defatted wheat bran (DWB), and wheat middlings (WM), as ingredients in carasau bread, incorporated as powders in baker’s yeast breads (P-series) or after fermentation in sourdough breads (F-series). Therefore, eight formulations were characterized for physicochemical properties and volatile compounds by HS-SPME-GC-MS, while consumer perception was assessed through overall liking, Check-All-That-Apply (CATA), and Just-About-Right (JAR) evaluation. Sourdough-fermented breads showed higher acidity and lower yellowness than baker’s yeast breads formulated with powdered co-products, whereas instrumental texture differed among formulations. Volatile profiles were primarily influenced by co-product type, with sourdough DWG bread showing the greatest modulation of aroma composition. Sensory characterization revealed formulation-specific profiles, showing that comparable levels of overall liking could be associated with different sensory configurations. The most evident differences in overall liking were observed for WWG and WM breads, whereas sourdough DWG and DWB breads showed overall liking distributions comparable with those of the baker’s yeast counterparts. Perceived attribute adequacy also varied among formulations, with baker’s yeast breads generally showing responses closer to the consumer-defined ideal than their sourdough counterparts, although this pattern was not uniform across co-products. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of wheat milling co-products for carasau bread production. However, the heterogeneity of consumer responses suggests the need for future studies with larger consumer samples to better define preference patterns and market potential.

Wheat germ is a nutrient-rich cereal by-product with potential for valorization through fermentation. This study employed ¹H NMR metabolomics to characterize the soluble metabolomic profiles of whole soft wheat germ (WWG) and industrially defatted durum wheat germ (DWG), with or without 20% semolina supplementation, fermented using a defined mixed starter culture. Samples were analyzed before fermentation (T0) and after sourdough propagation (TF). Metabolomic data were evaluated through exploratory multivariate analysis, metabolite-level comparisons, and Consensus Pathway Analysis (CPA), a framework integrating metabolite coverage, contrast magnitude, network topology, and reference-framework representation. WWG-based systems exhibited broader fermentation-associated metabolite redistribution than DWG-based systems, particularly involving carbohydrates, organic acids, and fermentation products. CPA highlighted pathway associations related to central carbon metabolism and amino acid- and nitrogen-related processes. Differences between WWG- and DWG-based formulations persisted throughout fermentation, while semolina supplementation was associated with distinct responses in the two wheat-germ matrices, which is consistent with matrix-dependent metabolomic patterns. Because each formulation was represented by a single fermentation experiment, the findings should be regarded as exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than statistically generalizable. Nevertheless, CPA provided a structured approach for organizing metabolomic observations and identifying candidate biochemical relationships for future investigation. Overall, this proof-of-concept study suggests that wheat-germ matrix characteristics may contribute to shaping fermentation-associated metabolomic profiles and provides a framework for future studies on the biotechnological valorization of wheat-germ processing fractions.