Evidence for formation of heterooligosaccharides by Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis during growth in wheat sourdough

Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis is a key organism of the lactic microflora in traditional and industrial sourdough fermentations. In this paper we provide evidence for the formation of heterooligosaccharides (HeOS) by L. sanfranciscensis during growth in sourdough. To identify the HeOS based on HPAEC-PAD analysis, HeOS standards were synthesized by enzymatic reactions with L. sanfranciscensis levansucrase in a chemically defined system in the presence of raffinose, maltotriose, maltose, xylose, or arabinose as acceptor carbohydrates. The oligosaccharides known to originate from the corresponding acceptor reactions, 1(F-)beta-fructosylraffinose, 1(F)-beta-fructofuranosylmaltotriose, erlose (1(F)-beta-fructofuranosylmaltose), xylsucrose, 1(F)-beta-fructosylxylsucrose, and arabsucrose, were identified by HPAEC-PAD. Evidence for the formation of further tri-, tetra-, and pentasaccharides was provided. Wheat doughs with sucrose were fermented with L. sanfranciscesis TMW 1.392 or the isogenic, levansucrase-negative strain TMW 1.392 Delta lev, and the analysis of dough extracts or invertase-treated dough extracts provided evidence for the formation of arabsucrose and erlose in sourdough in addition to 1-kestose and nystose.