Influence of preprocessing methods and fermentation of adzuki beans on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation by lactic acid bacteria

Abstract The effects of pre-processes (immersing, germinating, and cold shock) and fermentation conditions of adzuki beans on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation using mixed cultures of Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were investigated in this study. Among the preprocessing methods, cold shock treatment resulted in the highest observed GABA content (201.2 mg/100 g); a 150-fold increase compared to the non-treated adzuki beans. The LAB strains grew rapidly in cold-treated adzuki bean substrates and reached 10 8  cfu/ml after 24 h of fermentation at 30 °C. After optimization, the GABA yield reached 68.2 mg/100 ml; a 20-fold increase compared to the non-fermentation yield. The viable cell counts of LAB remained above 10 8  cfu/ml after 28 days of storage at 4 °C. Our results suggest that the combination of cold shock pretreatment and fermentation by LAB may be used for the preparation of adzuki beans with high GABA content, which can then be used as a natural resource of functional foods.