Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment in the Production of Probiotic (Fermented) Foods and Beverages

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1950

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy
Interests: microbial food safety; foodborne pathogenic bacteria; molecular methods; genomics; milk and dairy products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy
Interests: food safety; genomics; probiotics; foodborne pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy
Interests: food safety and quality; probiotics; foodborne pathogenic bacteria; S. aureus; A. butzleri; molecular methods; genomics; milk and dairy products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a heterogenous group of microorganisms that share the ability to produce lactic acid as the main product of sugar fermentation. These bacteria play a pivotal role in the production of fermented foods. Besides their technological role, many strains of LAB also possess probiotic attributes. Several species of food-associated LAB have obtained QPS status, which is the European equivalent of the United States’ Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status. However, some LAB strains act as opportunistic pathogens, prompting the need for a thorough safety evaluation for each strain intended for use as a probiotic or producer of postbiotics.  In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to send contributions concerning any aspects related to the functional and safety characterization of lactic acid bacteria and their use to produce probiotic (fermented) foods and beverages.

Dr. Vincenzina Fusco
Dr. Francesca Fanelli
Dr. Daniele Chieffi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • lactic acid bacteria
  • fermented foods and beverages
  • probiotics
  • safety assessment
  • genomics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 2318 KiB  
Article
Probiotic Insights from the Genomic Exploration of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Strains Isolated from Fermented Palm Sap
by Phoomjai Sornsenee, Komwit Surachat, Dae-Kyung Kang, Remylin Mendoza and Chonticha Romyasamit
Foods 2024, 13(11), 1773; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111773 - 5 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1581
Abstract
This study focused on L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap in southern Thailand that exhibit potential probiotic characteristics, including antibiotic susceptibility, resistance to gastrointestinal stresses, and antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. However, a thorough investigation of the whole genome sequences of [...] Read more.
This study focused on L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap in southern Thailand that exhibit potential probiotic characteristics, including antibiotic susceptibility, resistance to gastrointestinal stresses, and antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. However, a thorough investigation of the whole genome sequences of L. paracasei isolates is required to ensure their safety and probiotic properties for human applications. This study aimed to sequence the genome of L. paracasei isolated from fermented palm sap, to assess its safety profile, and to conduct a comprehensive comparative genomic analysis with other Lacticaseibacillus species. The genome sizes of the seven L. paracasei strains ranged from 3,070,747 bp to 3,131,129 bp, with a GC content between 46.11% and 46.17% supporting their classification as nomadic lactobacilli. In addition, the minimal presence of cloud genes and a significant number of core genes suggest a high degree of relatedness among the strains. Meanwhile, phylogenetic analysis of core genes revealed that the strains possessed distinct genes and were grouped into two distinct clades. Genomic analysis revealed key genes associated with probiotic functions, such as those involved in gastrointestinal, oxidative stress resistance, vitamin synthesis, and biofilm disruption. This study is consistent with previous studies that used whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics to assess the safety and potential benefits of probiotics in various food fermentation processes. Our findings provide valuable insights into the potential use of seven L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap as probiotic and postbiotic candidates in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Full article
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