About this Research Topic
Currently, in the context of the Paris Climate Agreement and the common need to act more sustainably, the food industry focuses strongly on including innovative active principles in their products. Food matrices that have either never been subjected to fermentation or aren’t usually used to produce a specific food and/or ingredient (hereafter defined as non-conventional matrices) are of high interest to the researchers. It has been shown that digestibility and nutrient bioavailability are important aspects of food design, and that food can be used as a carrier for bioactive compounds.
The use of lactic acid bacteria fermentation for the synthesis of such compounds has been widely described. Applying this fermentation on non-conventional matrices seems to be a promising and sustainable approach for the release of metabolites with positive impact on human and animal health and potential to use in the food industry as well. The investigation of related metabolic pathways allows better understanding of microbial requirements, consequently ensuring a suitable optimization of the fermentation process. An ad-hoc selection of suitable strains is a key point of the process, also when assessing its competitiveness and robustness.
Acknowledging the potential of both non-conventional matrices and lactic acid bacteria, we aim at highlighting the benefits of their combination in original research and review articles concerning the following themes:
1) Criteria for ad hoc selection of lactic acid bacteria for fermentation of non-conventional food matrices.
2) Lactic acid bacteria metabolic pathways affecting the functionality of various food matrices.
3) The optimization of fermentation process of non-conventional food matrices.
4) In-vitro and/or ex-vivo assessment of the functionality exerted by metabolites released during lactic acid bacteria fermentation of non-conventional food matrices.
The use of lactic acid bacteria fermentation for the synthesis of such compounds has been widely described. Applying this fermentation on non-conventional matrices seems to be a promising and sustainable approach for the release of metabolites with positive impact on human and animal health and potential to use in the food industry as well. The investigation of related metabolic pathways allows better understanding of microbial requirements, consequently ensuring a suitable optimization of the fermentation process. An ad-hoc selection of suitable strains is a key point of the process, also when assessing its competitiveness and robustness.
Acknowledging the potential of both non-conventional matrices and lactic acid bacteria, we aim at highlighting the benefits of their combination in original research and review articles concerning the following themes:
1) Criteria for ad hoc selection of lactic acid bacteria for fermentation of non-conventional food matrices.
2) Lactic acid bacteria metabolic pathways affecting the functionality of various food matrices.
3) The optimization of fermentation process of non-conventional food matrices.
4) In-vitro and/or ex-vivo assessment of the functionality exerted by metabolites released during lactic acid bacteria fermentation of non-conventional food matrices.
Keywords: lactic acid bacteria, fermentation, microbial selection, bioactive compounds, non-conventional food matrices
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