Improvement of the lactic acid fermentation of capers (Capparis spinosa L) through an experimental factorial design

The study of the caper fermentation process through an experiment factorial plan allows us to determine a function f such that (Y = f (X-1, X-2, X-n)) existing between magnitude Y which is the decrease of pH (called response), and variables X-i, which are brine, lactic acid, citric acid and lactic ferment (called factors). A complete factorial plan 24 was made in order to determine the factors and the interactions among the factors which have a statistically significant influence on the studied response. Brine, lactic acid and citric acid have a significant effect on the fall of pH; by contrast, lactic ferment does not have a significant effect. On the other hand, the interactions between brine and lactic acid, between brine and lactic ferment, between lactic acid with citric acid and between lactic acid with lactic ferment have significant effects on the fall of pH (p < 0.0001). The fermentation was done in the research laboratory of the society Marocapres-Fez, international leader in the processing of capers, at a temperature of about 30 degrees C, between June and July.