Enhancing the probiotic, sensory, and antioxidant properties of Polygonatum sibiricum Red. and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge through lactic acid fermentation for functional food development

Abstract This study explores the use of Polygonatum sibiricum Red. and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge as edible medicine homology ingredients through lactic acid fermentation to enhance probiotic content, sensory quality, and antioxidant properties. Using a mixed culture of Lactobacillus plantarum AS1.2437 and Lactobacillus casei CICC21019, the fermentation significantly increased lactic acid bacteria counts, improved taste, and boosted antioxidant activities, particularly in reducing Fe3+ and scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) free radicals (p < .05). During fermentation, changes in reducing sugars, total acids, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and amino acid compositions were monitored. Results showed significant increases in total phenols, flavonoids, SOD activity, and polysaccharide content (p < .05). Essential amino acids increased by 4.86%, and therapeutic amino acids rose from 50.88% to 53.59%. The Boltzmann model effectively captured these changes, achieving a high coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.99), indicating strong predictive accuracy. Key organic acids like lactic, acetic, and tartaric acids contributed to enhanced antioxidant activity. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical, medicinal, and antioxidant properties of the fermented Polygonatum sibiricum Red. and C. pinnatifida Bunge (PsR.–CpB.) enzyme, establishing a theoretical foundation for developing functional foods aligned with the edible medicine homology concept.