Study on the Development of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Bread Dough Enriched with Zinc and Selenium

The incorporation of lyophilized lactic acid bacteria in dough formulation is a current trend in bread making in order to achieve quality improvement and extension of shelf life of bread. Another major aspect for today’s bread making industry is an increase of the biological value of bread, by addition of mineral substances that are deficient in bread (such as zinc and selenium). This is an effective approach to combat the existing mineral deficiency in population nutrition. The aim of the present study is to investigate the development of lactic acid bacteria in a medium enriched with zinc and selenium. It was found that the addition of ZnSO4⋅7H2O in an amount of 0.174 g/kg flour and Na2SeO3⋅5H2O in an amount of 880.28 μg/kg flour (alone and in combination) did not inhibit the development of lactic acid bacteria used as starter cultures in bread dough formulation. It was found that the growth of the lactococcal component of the applied starters is dominant. The results reveal the possibility of obtaining bread with increased biological value and improved quality.