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Fermentation
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Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Applications in Food Safety...
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Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Applications in Food Safety and Animal Health

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Probiotic Strains and Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 4808

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Analía Inés Etcheverría

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Health and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Centre (CIVETAN), CONICET-CICPBA, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of the Centre of the Province of Buenos Aires, Tandil CP7000, Argentina
Interests: probiotic; lactic acid bacteria; pathogens; biopreservation
Dr. María Inés Palacio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Technology and Food Quality, Veterinary, Research Centre (CIVETAN), CONICET-CICPBA, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of the Center of the Province of Buenos Aires, Tandil CP7000, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interests: probiotic; lactic acid bacteria; meat products

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globalization and changes in dietary habits have amplified the spread of foodborne pathogens, generating increasing concerns over the safety of animal-origin products, particularly meat and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

Despite the progress of biotechnology, contamination by pathogens such as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus, among others, continues to erode consumer confidence and affect global food systems.

In this context, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), recognized as GRAS organisms, represent a promising natural alternative to chemical preservatives. Their application as probiotic starter cultures and bioprotective agents enables the production of antimicrobial metabolites such as lactic acid and bacteriocins, with a positive impact on food quality, shelf life, and pathogen control, particularly under minimal processing conditions.

This Special Issue invites contributions exploring the technological functionality, safety, and antimicrobial potential of LAB in fermented and RTE foods. Topics of interest include:

  • The development and characterization of bacteriocinogenic LAB strains,
  • The mechanisms for the inhibition of pathogens and biofilm control,
  • The use of LAB in hurdle technologies and non-thermal processing,
  • The impact of LAB on food preservation, reduction in nitrites/additives, and postbiotic effects.

Interdisciplinary works bridging food microbiology, veterinary science, biotechnology, and public health are especially welcome. Through this Special Issue, we aim to showcase scientific innovations and practical approaches for producing safer, functional, and consumer-trusted fermented foods.

Dr. Analía Inés Etcheverría
Dr. María Inés Palacio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lactic acid bacteria (LAB)
  • probiotics
  • fermented foods
  • food chain
  • food safety
  • foodborne diseases
  • animal health
  • biopreservation
  • pathogens

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2419 KB  
Article
Integrated Growth Physiology and Transcriptome Profiling Uncover Probiotic Adaptability of Limosilactobacillus fermentum KUB-D18
by Yuke He, Suttavadee Junyakul, Nachon Raethong, Massalin Nakphaichit, Solange I. Mussatto and Wanwipa Vongsangnak
Fermentation 2026, 12(3), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation12030168 - 21 Mar 2026
Viewed by 871
Abstract
Limosilactobacillus fermentum KUB-D18 is a probiotic strain with significant potential in food fermentation and health promotion, yet the systems-level mechanisms underlying its physiological robustness remain elusive. To elucidate the metabolic remodeling strategies operating across growth phases, we developed an integrated framework combining genome-scale [...] Read more.
Limosilactobacillus fermentum KUB-D18 is a probiotic strain with significant potential in food fermentation and health promotion, yet the systems-level mechanisms underlying its physiological robustness remain elusive. To elucidate the metabolic remodeling strategies operating across growth phases, we developed an integrated framework combining genome-scale metabolic modeling (GSMM) with transcriptomics. A high-quality metabolic model for L. fermentum KUB-D18, designated iYH640 and comprising 640 genes, 1530 metabolites, and 1922 reactions, was constructed and validated against experimental growth data. Specifically, in vitro assays measuring biomass and glucose concentrations showed a maximum specific growth rate of 0.2696 h−1 and a glucose uptake rate of 11.75 mmol gDCW−1 h−1, providing physiological constraints for the model. Using transcriptome-regulated flux balance analysis (TR-FBA), gene expression profiles from the logarithmic phase (L-phase) and stationary phase (S-phase) were integrated to quantify growth phase-specific metabolic flux distributions. These simulations revealed a distinct transcription-driven metabolic shift, in which the organism moves from a proliferation-oriented metabolic state with active central carbon metabolism and macromolecule synthesis to a maintenance-oriented state. This S-phase is characterized by reduced flux through anabolic pathways together with the selective preservation of redox balance and nucleotide homeostasis. Collectively, these results provide a quantitative explanation of how L. fermentum KUB-D18 balances growth and maintenance, offering a mechanistic basis for improving its stability and functional performance in industrial probiotic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Applications in Food Safety and Animal Health)
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19 pages, 8770 KB  
Article
Isolation and Partial Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Natural Whey Starter Culture
by Ida De Chiara, Rosangela Marasco, Milena Della Gala, Alberto Alfano, Darshankumar Parecha, Noemi Costanzo, Chiara Schiraldi and Lidia Muscariello
Fermentation 2025, 11(12), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11120668 - 28 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1696
Abstract
Natural whey starter (NWS) cultures are microbial consortia characterized by high microbial diversity in terms of genus and species, as well as strains, accounting for the variety of different characteristics and quality of the artisanal fermented food. By means of a combined approach, [...] Read more.
Natural whey starter (NWS) cultures are microbial consortia characterized by high microbial diversity in terms of genus and species, as well as strains, accounting for the variety of different characteristics and quality of the artisanal fermented food. By means of a combined approach, using plate counts, bacterial isolation, molecular identification, and genotyping, we analyzed 41 colonies isolated from NWS of cow milk used in the production of caciocavallo, a typical pasta filata Italian cheese. Results revealed that 27 of them were lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including Lactococcus lactis as the dominant species, followed by Streptococcus thermophilus, Enterococcus faecium, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus. The remaining isolates were taxonomically identified as non-LAB, probably due to environmental contamination. These results were mostly confirmed by metagenomic analysis, with the exception of only three species. Finally, small-scale fermentation experiments were performed in both standard media and skimmed milk to further characterize the newly isolated LAB strains. Overall, our results show that, except for four of the Lactococcus isolates and one Streptococcus, which show multi-drug resistance, the isolated strains under study exhibit levels of acidifying, metabolic properties, and safety parameters, suggesting their potential as starter cultures in cheese production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Applications in Food Safety and Animal Health)
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18 pages, 1720 KB  
Article
In Vitro Preliminary Characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BG112 for Use as a Starter Culture for Industrial Dry-Fermented Meats
by María Inés Palacio, María Julia Ruiz, María Fernanda Vega and Analía Inés Etcheverría
Fermentation 2025, 11(7), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11070403 - 14 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
The objective of this study was to perform a preliminary in vitro characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BG112, assessing its safety and technological features for potential application as a culture starter for an industrial fermented dry meat product. In vitro assays assessed its viability, [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to perform a preliminary in vitro characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BG112, assessing its safety and technological features for potential application as a culture starter for an industrial fermented dry meat product. In vitro assays assessed its viability, probiotic properties, and safety for use in food formulations. The strain was characterized through morphological and biochemical tests, carbohydrate fermentation profiling, and various in vitro assays based on FAO/WHO criteria for probiotic selection. These included proteolytic activity, auto-aggregation capacity, tolerance to simulated gastric juice and bile salts, antimicrobial activity, and resistance to sodium chloride, nitrite, and low pH. Safety evaluations were also performed by testing antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic activity, and DNAse production. The results showed that L. plantarum BG112 exhibited strong tolerance to adverse environmental conditions typically found during sausage fermentation and ripening, along with significant inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. The strain also demonstrated no hemolytic or DNAse activity and presented a favorable antibiotic sensitivity profile, meeting key safety requirements for probiotic use. Further studies using meat matrices and in vivo models are needed to validate these findings. This study contributes to the early-stage selection of safe and technologically suitable strains for use in fermented meat products. These findings support the potential application of L. plantarum BG112 as a safe and effective starter culture in the development of high-value, premium fermented meat products, aligned with current consumer demand for health-enhancing and natural foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Applications in Food Safety and Animal Health)
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