Enhancing Micronutrients Bioavailability through Fermentation of Plant-Based Foods: A Concise Review

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

"Fermentation, cooking, soaking, puffing, and germination are some of the traditional food processing methods commonly used in most developing nations". This sentence must be rewritten since these technologies are worldwide used, not only in developed countries. 

"Fermented foods that are produced by using lactic acid bacteria 63
(LAB) mainly comprises a number of genera such as Pedicoccus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Enterococcus, which yield lactic acid as their chief metabolite [16]",

LAB are not the only microbiota that produces fermented foods.

Please rewrite this sentence, include other microbiota or define clearly this sentence.

Please rewrite point 2 Fermentation. This point is dispersed and information is repeated in a different way, but the meanings the same.  

Author Response

Reviewer 1

Q1: Fermentation, cooking, soaking, puffing, and germination are some of the traditional food processing methods commonly used in most developing nations". This sentence must be rewritten since these technologies are worldwide used, not only in developed countries.

Reply: It has been rewritten as per suggestion, line no.76 to 78.

Fermentation, cooking, soaking, puffing, and germination are some of the traditional food processing methods used to reduce the antinutritional components, and enhance protein digestibility

Q2: "Fermented foods that are produced by using lactic acid bacteria 63 (LAB) mainly comprises a number of genera such as Pedicoccus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, and Enterococcus, which yield lactic acid as their chief metabolite [16]", LAB are not the only microbiota that produces fermented foods. Please rewrite this sentence, include other microbiota or define clearly this sentence.

Reply: Modified as suggested, line no. 89 to 93.

Fermented foods are produced by using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprised of a number of genera (like Pedicoccus, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, etc.) that yield lactic acid as a major metabolite. The fermentation is carried out by bacteria, yeast, filamentous fungi or a combination of these.

Q3: Please rewrite point 2 Fermentation. This point is dispersed and information is repeated in a different way, but the meanings the same.

Reply: As per the suggestion, point 2 Fermentation section (Line no. 124 to 226) and other necessary modifications has been thoroughly revised in the manuscript.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The work entitled: "Enhancing micronutrients bioavailability through fermentation of plant-based foods: A concise review" is well prepared in terms of content. However, authors should make some changes to improve its quality.

The introduction section should be shortened, the authors should focus only on the issues that justify the subject matter of the work. The article should be adapted to the editorial requirements of the journal "Fermentation", especially the "References" section.

Detailed  comments:

Figure 1 should be described in more detail in the text of the work.

L.116: "(Graphical abstract)." - Should be deleted.

L.345: “Future aspects” - most of the content of this chapter does not match the title. I suggest changing its title.
Regarding references, e.g.: L.421: „Food science and biotechnology” should be replaced with...” Food Science and Biotechnology”

Author Response

Reviewer 2

The introduction section should be shortened, the authors should focus only on the issues that justify the subject matter of the work. The article should be adapted to the editorial requirements of the journal "Fermentation", especially the "References" section.

Reply: As per the suggestion, an introduction section (Line no. 25 to 123) and other necessary modifications has been thoroughly revised in the manuscript.

Detailed comments reply

Q1: Figure 1 should be described in more detail in the text of the work.

Reply: As suggested Fig.1 described in the text Line 217 to 221.

Q2: L.116: "(Graphical abstract)." - Should be deleted.

Reply: Deleted as per suggestion.

Q3: L.345: “Future aspects” - most of the content of this chapter does not match the title. I suggest changing its title.

Reply: Title has been changed from “Future aspects” to “Future prospective” as suggested.

Q4: Regarding references, e.g.: L.421: „Food science and biotechnology” should be replaced with...” Food Science and Biotechnology”

Reply: All the references changed as per suggestion, line no. 515 to 764

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf