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In the present work the effects of different brining treatments on mature table olives during natural fermentation were evaluated. The considered olive cultivars are typical of Sicily: Moresca and Giarraffa. They were harvested at pigmented state. The carpological data revealed their good quality as table olives. Natural fermentation was performed with or without acidification up to pH 4, and at 8% and 15% salt concentrations. The physical, chemical and microbiological changes in olives and brines were monitored throughout the processing period. The acidification affected and selected the microbial population and maintained the low pH necessary for the hygienic safety of the product. In fact, in Moresca brines, the lactic acid bacteria totally disappeared after 60 days of fermentation while in Giarraffa they maintained their presence in the brines up to 180 days with a value between 104 UFC/mL and 106 UFC/mL, depending on the salt concentration. The microbial population was also affected by the polyphenol content, which was different between the cultivars. The color of olive fruits was greatly influenced by acidification and less by salt concentration. The addition of salt showed a different influence on the studied cultivars, in fact only the chemical analyses of Giarraffa showed a significant difference between the two levels of salt concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes and features of some olive cultivars during natural fermentation in brine were examined. The cultivars were typical of Sicily: "Nocellara messinese", "Nocellara etnea", "Moresca", "Ogliarola" and "Tonda iblea". The carpological data revealed their good quality. Chemical characteristics such as reducing sugars, titratable acidity, total phenols and dry matter were also investigated. The physical and chemical changes of olives and brines throughout the process time were monitored. Sodium chloride concentration was gradually increased from 5% (w/v) to 6% after 60-75 days and 7% after 90. The olives were put in brine acidified up to pH = 4. The salt concentration and pH value were necessary to favor lactic fermentation. An uniform trend of pH was measured for all the olive cultivars: a stable pH under 4.5 value was measured. The course of titratable acidity measured in fermentation brines was in agreement with the pH trend. The concentration of total phenols in flesh olives through the brine storage and fermentation is reported and the reduction of total phenols during the brine fermentation was fast in "Tonda iblea", "Nocellara etnea" and "Moresca" olives. To measure the degree of oleuropein disappearance, the course of hydroxytyrosol in brine was monitored. Throughout the brining period, the growth of microbial populations was revealed on selective media: lactic acid bacteria, mesophilic microorganisms, yeasts and moulds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]