In the present investigation, the production parameters for the preparation of natto-pigeon peawith immobilized
Bacillus nattowere optimized and its sensory evaluations were analyzed. The optimal immobilization conditions
for Bacillus natto were as follows: alginate concentration 7%, CaCl2 concentration 2.5%, concentration of bacteria
7.4 log cfu/mL and alginate bead diameter 5.0mm. Fermentation parameters of natto-pigeon pea were optimized
by single-factor experiments and central composite design with the index of fibrinolytic activity. The fibrinolytic
activity of natto-pigeon pea reached 1895.05±0.24 IU/g under the optimal conditions: wetweight of beads with
Bacillus natto 0.8 g/g material, ratio of liquid to solid 15: 1 mL/g, pH 6.5, temperature 38 °C and time 48 h. Moreover,
the sensory evaluations of the natto-pigeon pea were superior to that of natto-soybean because of the advantages
of pigeon pea on fermentation. Sensory results indicated that the method was an accepted procedure
for the production of natto-pigeon pea.
Industrial Relevance: Fermentation with immobilized microorganisms processing is an emerging technology for
the production of functional and safe food with a higher efficiency and quality than conventional solid fermentation.
Quantitative data on the fibrinolytic activity and sensory evaluationswere essential to demonstrate that the
process was indeed safe and efficient. The current work is one of the first to provide such data on natto-pigeon
peawith immobilized Bacillus natto, which is of most importance for industrial scale applications as well as agricultural
industry.