Submit to Applied Sciences Review for Applied Sciences Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 16075

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Roberto Nigro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials, and Industrial Production, University of Naples Federico II, P. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: food engineering; food processes; chemical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The objective of this Special Issue is to analyze the impact that lactic fermentation can have on the production of functional foods, addressing aspects ranging from industrial production to basic science.

Fermentation, one of the oldest biotechnological processes, has been used to improve the quality and health benefits of food since ancient times. Although the functional action of these fermented products has always been identified in the presence of live microorganisms, in recent years, this process has been almost exclusively linked to the action of some functional metabolites, predominantly peptides, which, together with the prebiotics present in the raw matrix and live microorganisms that overcome the gastrointestinal barrier, are able to amplify the immunological response, thus having important effects on the health of the host.

In the last decade, a great amount scientific evidence shows that the functional effect of lactic fermentation is exclusively related to the prebiotics and functional metabolites produced during the fermentation process, leading to the development of functional foods without live microorganisms, called postbiotics. In the case of specific hosts (i.e., children, the elderly, and people with high pathological vulnerability), postbiotics can be better tolerated, avoiding possible effects related to one’s sensitivity to the microorganism used.

It is also crucial to identify the way in which both probiotic and postbiotic functional foods interact with the intestinal mucosa to improve the immunological response.

Regarding these aspects, in this Special Issue, we would like to collate the best research so has to help clarify in depth the most efficient techniques, procedures, and models that can be used for the biotechnological production of functional food.

Dr. Roberto Nigro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

lactic fermentation
functional food
probiotic
postbiotic
immunological response

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 6635 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Lactic Acid Bacteria Co-Encapsulated with Lactobionic Acid: Probiotic Viability during In Vitro Digestion

by Sara Sáez-Orviz, Francesca Passannanti, Marianna Gallo, Rosa Colucci Cante, Federica Nigro, Andrea Luigi Budelli, Manuel Rendueles, Roberto Nigro and Mario Díaz

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11404; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112311404 - 02 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

Synbiotic products are a type of functional food with great potential due to consumer interest in foods that improve health and/or reduce the risk of certain diseases. In this study, synbiotic macrocapsules were developed using Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 as probiotic and lactobionic acid (LBA) as prebiotic. Firstly, the probiotic was proven to be able to use LBA as the only substrate source checking their growth and lactic acid production. Then, four different types of capsules were produced using sodium alginate as matrix and different hardener solutions (CaCl₂ and chitosan). The macrocapsules were characterised regarding their strength, and the best performing ones were used for further analysis. In order to obtain a synbiotic capsule characterized by a longer stability time due to low water activity, the capsules were dried using freeze and thermal drying. Successively, to revitalize the microorganisms, the capsules were rehydrated in two different media (saline solution and yogurt), subjected to simulated in vitro digestion tests and visually characterised. In addition, their viability over time was assessed. As a result, L. paracasei was able to grow using LBA as the only source of carbon with better production of lactic acid for prolonged periods. The more resistant freeze- and thermal-dried capsules showed differences in rehydration kinetics, and visual changes were also observed. In simulated in vitro digestion tests, capsules rehydrated in yogurt showed the best results in terms of survival. Regarding their viability over time, the importance of the use of chitosan was noted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3421 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lactobacillus plantarum SK15 as a Starter Culture for Prevention of Biogenic Amine Accumulation in Fermented Beverage Containing Hericium erinaceus Mushroom

by Netnapa Makhamrueang, Sasithorn Sirilun, Jakkapan Sirithunyalug, Wantida Chaiyana, Wiwat Wangcharoen, Sartjin Peerajan and Chaiyavat Chaiyasut

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(15), 6680; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11156680 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1649

Abstract

The effectiveness of Lactobacillus plantarum SK15 starter culture in preventing biogenic amine production, such as putrescine (PUT) and spermidine (SPD), during the fermented mushroom beverage (FMB) process using Hericium erinaceus was examined. Spontaneously fermented and starter-mediated FMB was manufactured in parallel. Besides changes in pH, total acidity content, alcohol content, amino acid content, reducing sugar content, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and the microbial load were examined at several sampling points during the 720-h fermentation process. As a result, the L. plantarum SK15 starter prevented biogenic amine accumulation during FMB fermentation. Moreover, starter-mediated FMB can control pH and alcohol content at an acceptable level. In addition, FMB with L. plantarum SK15 had a higher level of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 2527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Statistical Approach to Potentially Enhance the Postbiotication of Gluten-Free Sourdough

by Bogdan Păcularu-Burada, Mihaela Turturică, João Miguel Rocha and Gabriela-Elena Bahrim

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5306; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11115306 - 07 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2789

Abstract

Fermented products are permanently under the attention of scientists and consumers, both due to nutritional importance and health promoting effects. The fermented functional foods contribute to a more balanced diet and increase the immune responses (among many other health effects) with positive implications for quality of life. In this sense, improving the sourdough’s fermentation to boost the biotic (postbiotic and paraprobiotic) properties of the sourdough-based products has positive impacts on the nutritional and functional properties of the final baked products. These enhanced sourdoughs can be obtained in controlled fermentation conditions and used as sourdough bread improvers or novel bioingredients. In this context, our work aimed to optimize, using statistical tools, a gluten-free sourdough based on chickpea, quinoa, and buckwheat fermentation with selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to enhance its postbiotic properties. The most important biotechnological parameters were selected by Plackett–Burman Design (PBD) and then Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate the interactions between the selected factors to maximize the gluten-free sourdough’s properties. As a result, the optimized fermented sourdough had antimicrobial activity with inhibition ratios between 71 and 100% against the Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium spp. molds and against the Bacillus spp endospore-forming Gram-positive rods. The optimized variant showed a total titratable acidity (TTA) of 40.2 mL NaOH 0.1N. Finally, the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis highlighted a heterofermentative profile for the organic acids from the optimized sourdough. Among flavonoids and polyphenols, the level of caffeic and vanillic acids increased after lactic acid fermentation. The comparison between the optimized sourdough and the control evidenced significant differences in the metabolite profiles, thus highlighting its potential postbiotication effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Banana Puree Lactic Fermentation: The Role of Ripeness, Heat Treatment, and Ascorbic Acid

by Marianna Gallo, Francesca Passannanti, Paola Schiattarella, Angela Esposito, Rosa Colucci Cante, Federica Nigro, Andrea Budelli and Roberto Nigro

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 5153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11115153 - 01 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3501

Abstract

Banana puree, due to its nutritional composition, is a good substrate for fermentation in the development of probiotic products. The production of banana puree mainly consists of three phases, i.e., raw material pretreatment, heat treatment, and the addition of anti-browning agents. In this study, we conducted three experimental protocols to evaluate the effect of ripeness grade, heat treatment, and ascorbic acid addition on fermentation performance. At the end of each protocol, the substrate was subjected to the fermentation process (37 °C, 48 h), and then measurements of pH reduction, microbial growth, and lactic acid production were used as markers in the analysis of fermentation performance. Ripe bananas produced better results than unripe bananas whose fermentation appeared to be inhibited. Therefore, ripe bananas were used to test the effect of two different heat treatments (sterilization (121 °C, 20 min) versus tyndallization (70 °C, 30 min; 37 °C, 30 min; 70 °C, 30 min)) on banana puree fermentation, and no significant differences were observed. Finally, 500 or 1000 ppm of ascorbic acid, normally used as an anti-browning agent, was added to ripe tyndallized bananas. No differences in fermentation results were observed between the two tested conditions, though values obtained for growth and lactic acid production were significantly lower than those from fermentation of banana puree without ascorbic acid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1392 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Mathematical Modeling of Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 Growth during Rice Flour Fermentation Performed with and without pH Control

by Rosa Colucci Cante, Marianna Gallo, Federica Nigro, Francesca Passannanti, Andrea Budelli and Roberto Nigro

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 2921; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11072921 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2323

Abstract

The mathematical modeling of fermentation processes allows for the formulation of predictions about the kinetics of biomass growth and metabolite production as well as setting or verifying the best operative conditions in view of the economical convenience of the process. For this purpose, we performed a kinetic study of a rice flour fermentation process using Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 with and without pH control; the pH value was set to 5.8 under pH control. Monod, Logistic, and Contois models were proposed to describe the bacterial growth rate in both conditions. The best mathematical model, which was able to describe the experimental data obtained without pH control, was the Contois model, as the specific growth rate was influenced by both the glucose reduction (from 14.31 g/L to 10.22 g/L) and the biomass production (2 log growth) that occurred during fermentation. Conversely, when pH control was implemented, both Monod and Contois models satisfactorily described the specific growth rate trend. The estimated kinetic parameters confirmed that biomass production (2 log growth) and glucose consumption (from 14.31 g/L to 6.06 g/L) did not affect the microorganism’s growth capacity when the fermenting medium was maintained at an optimal pH. The lactic acid production rate described by the Luedeking–Piret model did not appear to be linked to growth in the absence of pH control while, on the other hand, this model was unsuitable for describing the experimental lactic acid concentration when pH control was applied. The kinetic modeling of lactic acid production and the percentage of added glucose in the protocol with controlled pH will be optimized in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 695 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Pro-Pre and Postbiotic in Celiac Disease

by Mariangela Conte, Monia Porpora, Federica Nigro, Roberto Nigro, Andrea Luigi Budelli, M. Vittoria Barone and Merlin Nanayakkara

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 8185; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11178185 - 03 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2860

Abstract

Celiac Disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa due to an immune response to wheat gliadins. It presents in subjects with genetic susceptibility (HLA-DQ2/DQ8 positivity and non-HLA genes) and under the influence of environmental triggers, such as viral infections and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. The only treatment currently available in CD is a gluten-free diet for life. Despite this, the intestinal dysbiosis that is recorded in celiac subjects persists, even with adherence to dietary therapy. In this review, we have analyzed the literature over the past several decades, which have focused on the use of pro-, pre- and post-biotics in vitro and in vivo in CD. The study of probiotics and their products in CD could be interesting for observing their various effects on several different pathways, including anti-inflammatory properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances of Lactic Fermentation for Functional Food Production)

► Show Figures