Dimethyl dicarbonate vs heat treatment in fermented litchi juice
What it found
In lab tests, litchi juice treated with dimethyl dicarbonate before fermentation kept better colour, flavour and overall acceptance than heat-treated juice, and held onto more total phenolics and antioxidant capacity.
The probiotic bacteria survived well in both.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Residual microbes
In both the heat- and dimethyl dicarbonate-treated juices, leftover native microorganisms could not grow into dominant bacteria during fermentation with L. casei.
Sensory quality
The dimethyl dicarbonate-treated fermented juice had better colour, flavour and overall acceptance than the heat-treated fermented juice.
Phenolics and antioxidants
The dimethyl dicarbonate-treated fermented juice retained more total phenolics and antioxidant capacity than the heat-treated one.
Probiotic survival
After 4 weeks of storage at 4 °C, L. casei counts stayed above 8.0 lg CFU/mL in both the heat- and dimethyl dicarbonate-treated juices.
Storage changes
During 4 weeks at 4 °C, pH, total phenolics, ascorbic acid and antioxidant capacity tended to slowly decrease in both juices, but overall acceptance scores did not drop.
What the authors conclude
“On the whole, the application of DMDC treatment could be an ideal alternative of heat treatment to ensure the microbial safety, consistent sensory, and nutritional quality of fermented litchi juice prior to fermentation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say dimethyl dicarbonate treatment could be an ideal alternative to heat treatment to ensure the microbial safety, consistent sensory and nutritional quality of fermented litchi juice before fermentation.
- They state that this study provides a scientific basis for using dimethyl dicarbonate before fermenting litchi juice.
How it was done
Heat treatment before fermenting fruit juice with probiotics can harm the juice's quality. The authors wanted to see if dimethyl dicarbonate could be a good alternative.
They treated litchi juice with either heat or dimethyl dicarbonate, then fermented it with Lactobacillus casei and compared quality and stability. They also stored the fermented juices at 4 °C for 4 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests on juice, not studies in people, so they cannot show how fermented litchi juice affects human health.
- The study looked only at litchi juice fermented with one bacterium, so the results may not apply to other juices or other probiotics.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
The paper
- Title
- Effects of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) on the fermentation of litchi juice by Lactobacillus casei as an alternative of heat treatment
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Yu Y, Xiao G, Xu Y, Wu J, Wen J (2014). Effects of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) on the fermentation of litchi juice by Lactobacillus casei as an alternative of heat treatment. Journal of food science. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.12428PubMed 24735408DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error