Microbiology and Technology of Fermented Foods While many food science programs offer courses in the microbiology and processing of fermented foods, no recently published texts exist that fully ...address the subject
The characteristic flavor of fermented foods has an important impact on the purchasing decisions of consumers, and its production mechanisms are a concern for scientists worldwide. The perception of ...food flavor is a complex process involving olfaction, taste, vision, and oral touch, with various senses contributing to specific properties of the flavor. Soy‐based fermented products are popular because of their unique flavors, especially in Asian countries, where they occupy an important place in the dietary structure. Microorganisms, known as the souls of fermented foods, can influence the sensory properties of soy‐based fermented foods through various metabolic pathways, and are closely related to the formation of multisensory properties. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the core microbiome and its interactions that play an active role in representative soy‐based fermented foods, such as fermented soymilk, soy sauce, soybean paste, sufu, and douchi. The mechanism of action of the core microbial community on multisensory flavor quality is revealed here. Revealing the fermentation core microbiome and related enzymes provides important guidance for the development of flavor‐enhancement strategies and related genetically engineered bacteria.
Culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms naturally ferment majority of global fermented foods and beverages. Traditional food fermentation represents an extremely valuable cultural heritage in ...most regions, and harbors a huge genetic potential of valuable but hitherto undiscovered strains. Holistic approaches for identification and complete profiling of both culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms in global fermented foods are of interest to food microbiologists. The application of culture-independent technique has thrown new light on the diversity of a number of hitherto unknown and non-cultural microorganisms in naturally fermented foods. Functional bacterial groups ("phylotypes") may be reflected by their mRNA expression in a particular substrate and not by mere DNA-level detection. An attempt has been made to review the microbiology of some fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of the world.
Fermented foods have long been produced according to knowledge passed down from generation to generation and with no understanding of the potential role of the microorganism(s) involved in the ...process. However, the scientific and technological revolution in Western countries made fermentation turn from a household to a controlled process suitable for industrial scale production systems intended for the mass marketplace. The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date review of the latest studies which investigated the health-promoting components forming upon fermentation of the main food matrices, in order to contribute to understanding their important role in healthy diets and relevance in national dietary recommendations worldwide. Formation of antioxidant, bioactive, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and FODMAP-reducing components in fermented foods are mainly presented and discussed. Fermentation was found to increase antioxidant activity of milks, cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish. Anti-hypertensive peptides are detected in fermented milk and cereals. Changes in vitamin content are mainly observed in fermented milk and fruits. Fermented milk and fruit juice were found to have probiotic activity. Other effects such as anti-diabetic properties, FODMAP reduction, and changes in fatty acid profile are peculiar of specific food categories.
The revised and expanded text on food fermentation microbiology With this second edition of Microbiology and Technology of Fermented Foods, Robert Hutkins brings fresh perspectives and updated ...content to his exhaustive and engaging text on food fermentations. The text covers all major fermented foods, devoting chapters to fermented dairy, meat, and vegetable products, as well breads, beers, wines, vinegars, and soy foods. These insights are enhanced by detailed explanations of the microbiological and biochemical processes that underpin fermentation, while an account of its fascinating history provides readers with richly contextualizing background knowledge. New to this edition are two additional chapters. One discusses the role that fermentation plays in the production of spirits and other distilled beverages, whereas another focuses on cocoa, coffee, and fermented cereal products. Furthermore, key chapters on microorganisms and metabolism have been expanded and elaborated upon, and are complemented by other relevant revisions and additions made throughout the book, ensuring that it is as up-to-date and applicable as possible. This essential text includes: Discussions of major fermented foods from across the globe Background information on the science and history behind food fermentation Information on relevant industrial processes, technologies, and scientific discoveries Two new chapters covering distilled spirits and cocoa, coffee, and cereal products Expanded chapters on microorganisms and metabolism Microbiology and Technology of Fermented Foods, Second Edition is a definitive reference tool that will be of great interest and use to industry professionals, academics, established or aspiring food scientists, and anyone else working with fermented foods.
For a long time, food microbiota has been studied using traditional microbiological techniques. With the arrival of molecular or culture-independent techniques, a strong understanding of microbiota ...dynamics has been achieved. However, analyzing the functional role of microbial communities is not an easy task. The application of omics sciences to the study of fermented foods would provide the metabolic and functional understanding of the microbial communities and their impact on the fermented product, including the molecules that define its aroma and flavor, as well as its nutritional properties. Until now, most omics studies have focused on commercial fermented products, such as cheese, wine, bread and beer, but traditional fermented foods have been neglected. Therefore, the information that allows to relate the present microbiota in the food and its properties remains limited. In this review, reports on the applications of omics in the study of traditional fermented foods and beverages are reviewed to propose new ways to analyze the fermentation phenomena.
The interplay of microbiota and the human host is physiologically crucial in health and diseases. The beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), permanently colonizing the human intestine or ...transiently obtained from food, have been extensively reported. However, the molecular understanding of how LAB modulate human physiology is still limited. G protein-coupled receptors for hydroxycarboxylic acids (HCAR) are regulators of immune functions and energy homeostasis under changing metabolic and dietary conditions. Most mammals have two HCAR (HCA1, HCA2) but humans and other hominids contain a third member (HCA3) in their genomes. A plausible hypothesis why HCA3 function was advantageous in hominid evolution was lacking. Here, we used a combination of evolutionary, analytical and functional methods to unravel the role of HCA3 in vitro and in vivo. The functional studies included different pharmacological assays, analyses of human monocytes and pharmacokinetic measurements in human. We report the discovery of the interaction of D-phenyllactic acid (D-PLA) and the human host through highly potent activation of HCA3. D-PLA is an anti-bacterial metabolite found in high concentrations in LAB-fermented food such as Sauerkraut. We demonstrate that D-PLA from such alimentary sources is well absorbed from the human gut leading to high plasma and urine levels and triggers pertussis toxin-sensitive migration of primary human monocytes in an HCA3-dependent manner. We provide evolutionary, analytical and functional evidence supporting the hypothesis that HCA3 was consolidated in hominids as a new signaling system for LAB-derived metabolites.
Traditional Chinese fermented foods are favored by consumers due to their unique flavor, texture and nutritional values. A large number of microorganisms participate in the process of fermentation, ...especially lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are present in almost all fermented foods and contribute to flavor development. The formation process of flavor is complex and involves the biochemical conversion of various food components. It is very important to fully understand the conversion process to direct the flavor formation in foods. A comprehensive link between the LAB community and the flavor formation in traditional Chinese fermented foods is reviewed. The main mechanisms involved in the flavor formation dominated by LAB are carbohydrate metabolism, proteolysis and amino acid catabolism, and lipolysis and fatty acid metabolism. This review highlights some useful novel approaches for flavor enhancement, including the application of functional starter cultures and metabolic engineering, which may provide significant advances toward improving the flavor of fermented foods for a promising market.
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•Consumption of fermented foods is associated with health benefits.•Research has focused on effective strategies to delay aging & increase lifespan, well-being.•Fermented food ...products are promising alternative due to immunomodulatory effect.•A series of anti-aging related benefits have been reported from fermented foods.•For example, specific compounds such as genistein and daidzein in fermented soybeans.
Fermentation has been applied since antiquity as a way to preserve foodstuff or as a necessary step in the production of a variety of products. The research was initially focused on accurate description of production procedure and identification of parameters that may affect the composition and dynamics of the developing micro-communities, since the major aim was standardization and commercial exploitation of the products. Soon it was realized that consumption of these products was associated with an array of health benefits, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic and anti-allergenic activities. These were credited to the microorganisms present in the fermented products as well as their metabolic activities and the bio-transformations that took place during the fermentation process. Aging has been defined as a gradual decline in the physiological function and concomitantly homeostasis, which is experienced by all living beings over time, leading inevitably to age-associated injuries, diseases, and finally death. Research has focused on effective strategies to delay this process and thus increase both lifespan and well-being. Fermented food products seem to be a promising alternative due to the immunomodulatory effect of microorganisms and elevated amounts of bioactive compounds. Indeed, a series of anti-aging related benefits have been reported, some of which have been attributed to specific compounds such as genistein and daidzein in soybeans, while others are yet to be discovered. The present article aims to collect and critically discuss all available literature regarding the anti-aging properties of fermented food products.
Several bacterial species associated with the human gut and with fermented foods produce menaquinones (MK-n; vitamin K2) as part of their energy metabolism. Given that MK-n offer multiple health ...benefits to humans, research into this topic is of increasing interest.
To outline the current understanding of bacterial MK-n production and how it relates to the gut microbiota, food fermentation, the production of dietary supplements, and health.
In bacteria, MK-n display various functions in addition to their chief role in energy production, including a role in defense mechanisms, the sensing of environmental changes, the reduction of metals, sporulation, and pathogenicity. In humans, they are relevant for health beyond the effects of phylloquinones (vitamin K1), which are primarily related to blood coagulation, as they seem to be more effective extrahepatically, impacting on cardiovascular and bone health and protecting against non-communicable diseases. While the contribution of gut microbiota to the human vitamin K budget remains unclear, more is known about fermented foods. Some fermented foods from either plant (e.g., sauerkraut and natto) or animal origin (e.g., cheese) are valuable sources of MK-n, even compared to non-fermented animal source foods, which only contain limited amounts of one specific form (MK-4). Bacillus subtilis, commonly used in the production of natto, is the most employed microorganism at industrial level for the production of dietary MK-7 supplements, a process which can be optimized by selecting the appropriate fermentation parameters.
•In bacteria, MK-n have various functions in addition to their chief role in energy production.•In humans, vitamin K2 exerts various health-related benefits, broader so than K1.•The contribution of gut bacteria to vitamin K2 intake is less clear than for fermented foods.•Based on the bacteria involved, fermented foods provide different vitamin K2 forms.•Bacillus subtilis is used for the industrial production of dietary MK-7 supplements.
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