eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 2347-467X 2322-0007 2026-04-10 14 1 230 250 10.12944/CRNFSJ.14.1.15 25640 article Qingyun Bai 1 Wenjing Zhou 2 Roberto Lemus Mondaca 3 Wei Han 4 Jin Feng 2 Ying Li 2 College of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, China Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China Department of Food Science and Chemical Technology, Universidad de Chile, Chile. Department of Central Laboratory, Jiangsu Academy Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China Burdock is a nutritious vegetable with significant functional properties; however, its characteristic off-odors limit broader commercialization. Our previous research also identified 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) and 2-sec-butyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IPMP) as the primary off-odor compounds in burdock, and verified that fermentation with Leuconostoc mesenteroides ZN-E could significantly degrade these compounds and improve burdock flavor. Based on this, this study further optimized culture conditions, medium composition and spray-drying processes for this strain to enhance bacterial viability and fermentation performance. The optimal fermentation conditions (32℃, 18 h) and medium composition (3% maltose, 4% soy peptone, 6% carrot juice) were determined by single-factor experiments, wherein carrot juice acted as a growth stimulant due to its rich content of natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals crucial for microbial development. Heat adaptation treatment at 45℃ for 20 minutes significantly improved thermal tolerance, contributing to the reduction of cell mortality during spray drying. Orthogonal tests established optimal drying parameters (inlet temperature 130℃, outlet temperature 80℃, feed rate 0.4 L/h), resulting in a powder with high viable counts. The spray-dried powder demonstrated superior performance by degrading 47.44% of IBMP, a key characteristic component responsible for the undesirable odor in burdock, significantly outperforming liquid cultures (37.22% degradation). The spray-dried powder also received enhanced sensory evaluation scores. This study provides a scalable methodology for producing a stable starter culture capable of efficient burdock off-odor removal, supporting its industrial application. These findings align with recent advances in probiotic starter culture development, where spray-drying has emerged as a cost-effective alternative to freeze-drying for industrial-scale production. The superior performance of spray-dried cultures in off-odor removal, as demonstrated in this study, contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the application of optimized drying processes in functional food production. https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume14number1/development-of-a-spray-dried-starter-culture-for-the-efficient-removal-of-off-odors-in-burdock/ Burdock Growth Stimulant Heat Adaptation Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation Off-Odors Sensory Evaluation Spray Drying