Food Fermentations: Microorganisms in Food Production and Preservation

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 28230

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fermentation of substrates considered for human consumption has been applied for centuries as a process that enhances shelf life, sensory properties, and nutritional value. This bio-transformation is driven by a micro-community that is developed with time—the composition of which depends upon several factors, such as the type of raw materials used, the selective agents that may be added or released during processing, and the incubation conditions. Identification of the microorganisms of spontaneously fermented food and evaluation of their technological potential has been at the epicenter of research over the past decades. The phenotypic characterization that was originally employed was recently enriched by molecular approaches that offer new insights and provide complementary information, improving our knowledge on the interactions between different microbial species during microecosystem development as well as their genetic potential. In this exciting new era, the literature is constantly enriched by studies on regional spontaneously fermented products and the capacity of the microorganisms employed, revealing novel aspects of their physiology and further improving our understanding of the microbiology of food fermentation. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a collection of articles that update the current knowledge on all aspects related to the microorganisms that drive food fermentation.

Dr. Spiros Paramithiotis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • omics technologies
  • spontaneous fermentation
  • industrial fermentation
  • yeasts
  • lactic acid bacteria
  • acetic acid bacteria

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 171 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue ‘Food Fermentations: Microorganisms in Food Production and Preservation’: Editorial
by Spiros Paramithiotis
Microorganisms 2023, 11(3), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030569 - 24 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1118
Abstract
For centuries, microorganisms have been exploited for the production and preservation of substates intended for human consumption [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 3740 KiB  
Article
Technological and Safety Attributes of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts Isolated from Spontaneously Fermented Greek Wheat Sourdoughs
by Maria K. Syrokou, Sofia Tziompra, Eleni-Efthymia Psychogiou, Sofia-Despoina Mpisti, Spiros Paramithiotis, Loulouda Bosnea, Marios Mataragas, Panagiotis N. Skandamis and Eleftherios H. Drosinos
Microorganisms 2021, 9(4), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040671 - 24 Mar 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2962
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the technological and safety potential of 207 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 195 yeast strains isolated from spontaneously fermented Greek wheat sourdoughs. More accurately, the amylolytic, proteolytic, lipolytic, phytase and amino acid decarboxylase activities, [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study was to assess the technological and safety potential of 207 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 195 yeast strains isolated from spontaneously fermented Greek wheat sourdoughs. More accurately, the amylolytic, proteolytic, lipolytic, phytase and amino acid decarboxylase activities, along with the production of exopolysaccharides and antimicrobial compounds by the LAB and yeast isolates, were assessed. A well diffusion assay revealed seven proteolytic LAB and eight yeast strains; hydrolysis of tributyrin was evident only in 11 LAB strains. A further Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) indicated partial hydrolysis of gluten. Lipolysis kinetics over 21 days was applied, exhibiting that lipolytic activity ranged from 6.25 to 65.50 AU/mL. Thirteen LAB inhibited Penicillium olsonii and Aspergillus niger growth and 12 yeast strains inhibited Pe. chrysogenum growth. Twenty-one Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains exhibited inhibitory activity against Listeria monocytogenes, as well as several sourdough-associated isolates. The structural gene encoding plantaricin 423 was detected in 19 Lcb. plantarum strains, while the structural genes encoding plantaricins NC8, PlnE/F, PlnJ/K, and S were detected in two Lcb. plantarum strains. None of the microbial strains tested exhibited exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, amino acid decarboxylase, amylolytic or phytase activity. The technological and safety potential of the Lcb. plantarum and Wickerhamomyces anomalus strains was highlighted, since some of them exhibited proteolytic, lipolytic, antibacterial and antimould activities. Full article
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18 pages, 5633 KiB  
Article
Yogurt Produced by Novel Natural Starter Cultures Improves Gut Epithelial Barrier In Vitro
by Nikola Popović, Emilija Brdarić, Jelena Đokić, Miroslav Dinić, Katarina Veljović, Nataša Golić and Amarela Terzić-Vidojević
Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101586 - 15 Oct 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 10675
Abstract
Yogurt is a traditional fermented dairy product, prepared with starter cultures containing Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus that has gained widespread consumer acceptance as a healthy food. It is widely accepted that yogurt cultures have been recognized as probiotics, due to their beneficial [...] Read more.
Yogurt is a traditional fermented dairy product, prepared with starter cultures containing Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus that has gained widespread consumer acceptance as a healthy food. It is widely accepted that yogurt cultures have been recognized as probiotics, due to their beneficial effects on human health. In this study, we have characterized technological and health-promoting properties of autochthonous strains S. thermophilus BGKMJ1-36 and L. bulgaricus BGVLJ1-21 isolated from artisanal sour milk and yogurt, respectively, in order to be used as functional yogurt starter cultures. Both BGKMJ1-36 and BGVLJ1-21 strains have the ability to form curd after five hours at 42 °C, hydrolyze αs1-, β-, and κ- casein, and to show antimicrobial activity toward Listeria monocytogenes. The strain BGKMJ1-36 produces exopolysaccharides important for rheological properties of the yogurt. The colonies of BGKMJ1-36 and BGVLJ1-21 strains that successfully survived transit of the yogurt through simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions have been tested for adhesion to intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. The results reveal that both strains adhere to Caco-2 cells and significantly upregulate the expression of autophagy-, tight junction proteins-, and anti-microbial peptides-related genes. Hence, both strains may be interesting for use as a novel functional starter culture for production of added-value yogurt with health-promoting properties. Full article
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15 pages, 3112 KiB  
Article
Composition and Metabolic Functions of the Microbiome in Fermented Grain during Light-Flavor Baijiu Fermentation
by Xiaoning Huang, Yi Fan, Ting Lu, Jiamu Kang, Xiaona Pang, Beizhong Han and Jingyu Chen
Microorganisms 2020, 8(9), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091281 - 22 Aug 2020
Cited by 70 | Viewed by 5420
Abstract
The metabolism and accumulation of flavor compounds in Chinese Baijiu are driven by microbiota succession and their inter-related metabolic processes. Changes in the microbiome composition during Baijiu production have been examined previously; however, the respective metabolic functions remain unclear. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing [...] Read more.
The metabolism and accumulation of flavor compounds in Chinese Baijiu are driven by microbiota succession and their inter-related metabolic processes. Changes in the microbiome composition during Baijiu production have been examined previously; however, the respective metabolic functions remain unclear. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics, we examined the microbial and metabolic characteristics during light-flavor Baijiu fermentation to assess the correlations between microorganisms and their potential functions. During fermentation, the bacterial abundance increased from 58.2% to 97.65%, and fermentation resulted in the accumulation of various metabolites, among which alcohols and esters were the most abundant. Correlation analyses revealed that the levels of major metabolites were positively correlated with bacterial abundance but negatively with that of fungi. Gene annotation showed that the Lactobacillus species contained key enzyme genes for carbohydrate metabolism and contributed to the entire fermentation process. Lichtheimia ramosa, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Bacillus licheniformis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia kudriavzevii play major roles in starch degradation and ethanol production. A link was established between the composition and metabolic functions of the microbiota involved in Baijiu fermentation, which helps elucidate microbial and metabolic patterns of fermentation and provides insights into the potential optimization of Baijiu production. Full article
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17 pages, 1309 KiB  
Article
Low-Carbohydrate Tolerant LAB Strains Identified from Rumen Fluid: Investigation of Probiotic Activity and Legume Silage Fermentation
by Palaniselvam Kuppusamy, Dahye Kim, Ilavenil Soundharrajan, Hyung Soo Park, Jeong Sung Jung, Seung Hak Yang and Ki Choon Choi
Microorganisms 2020, 8(7), 1044; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071044 - 14 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3445
Abstract
The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with low carbohydrate tolerance from rumen fluid and to elucidate their probiotic properties and the quality of fermentation of Medicago sativa L. and Trifolium incarnatum L. silage in vitro. [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with low carbohydrate tolerance from rumen fluid and to elucidate their probiotic properties and the quality of fermentation of Medicago sativa L. and Trifolium incarnatum L. silage in vitro. We isolated 39 LAB strains and screened for growth in MRS broth and a low-carbohydrate supplemented medium; among them, two strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lactobacillus plantarum) RJ1 and Pediococcus pentosaceus S22, were able to grow faster in the low-carbohydrate medium. Both strains have promising probiotic characteristics including antagonistic activity against P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. aureus, and E. faecalis; the ability to survive in simulated gastric-intestinal fluid; tolerance to bile salts; and proteolytic activity. Furthermore, an in vitro silage fermentation study revealed that alfalfa and crimson clover silage inoculated with RJ1 and S22 showed significantly decreased pH and an increased LAB population at the end of fermentation. Also, the highest lactic acid production was noted (p < 0.05) in LAB-inoculated silage vs. non-inoculated legume silage at high moisture. Overall, the data suggest that RJ1 and S22 could be effective strains for fermentation of legume silage. Full article
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11 pages, 1274 KiB  
Article
Industrial Validation of a Promising Functional Strain of Lactobacillus plantarum to Improve the Quality of Italian Sausages
by Daniela Campaniello, Barbara Speranza, Antonio Bevilacqua, Clelia Altieri, Maria Rosaria Corbo and Milena Sinigaglia
Microorganisms 2020, 8(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8010116 - 15 Jan 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3448
Abstract
This paper proposes the industrial validation of a functional strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (strain 178). First, acidification in a meat model medium and bioactivity towards Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli were assessed; the performances of Lb. plantarum [...] Read more.
This paper proposes the industrial validation of a functional strain of Lactobacillus plantarum (strain 178). First, acidification in a meat model medium and bioactivity towards Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli were assessed; the performances of Lb. plantarum 178 were compared to those of a commercial Lb. sakei and a probiotic Lb. casei. Lb. plantarum 178 inhibited the pathogens and experienced a higher acidification at 15 °C. Lb. casei and Lb. plantarum were used for an industrial fermentation of traditional Italian sausages. The strains assured the correct course of fermentation and inhibited pathogens and enterobacteria. This study represents the scaling up and the validation of a promising strain at industrial level and shows the possibility of performing the fermentation of traditional Italian sausage through functional starter cultures, combining the benefit of a controlled fermentation and possible health benefits. Full article
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