Indigenous Microbial Fermentation: Uncovering Natural Microbes and Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Food and Feed Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The resurgence of interest in natural, sustainable, and culturally rooted fermentation practices has created an urgent opportunity to explore indigenous knowledge systems that have guided the preparation and preservation of food and feed for generations. These systems, developed over centuries through local experimentation and ecological adaptation, offer unique microbial consortia and fermentation substrates often overlooked in conventional biotechnology.

Notably, recent research has revealed a wealth of novel microbial strains associated with these traditional fermentations. These microbes hold vast potential for improving food preservation, gut health, nutrient bioavailability, mitigating heat stress, and enhancing animal productivity, while also contributing to biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable agricultural practices.

This Special Issue invites original research and review articles that bridge indigenous fermentation practices with contemporary microbiological science. Emphasis will be placed on the discovery, characterization, and application of natural microbial agents from traditional fermentation systems, as well as their role in shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for global food and feed systems.

Topics of Interest Include

• Isolation and characterization of novel microbes from indigenous fermented foods and feed products;
• Microbial ecology and diversity of traditional fermentation systems;
• Comparative studies of microbial profiles in natural vs. industrial fermented products;
• Metagenomic and multi-omic analyses of fermentation microbiomes;
• Applications of indigenous microbial strains in improving animal feed efficiency, gut health, and reducing methane emissions;
• Development and optimization of natural fermentation starters for food and feed applications;
• Fermentation-based food preservation: traditional strategies to combat spoilage and pathogens;
• Integration of cultural knowledge with scientific innovation in fermentation biotechnology;
• Ethical, legal, and benefit-sharing considerations in microbial bioprospecting and indigenous collaboration;
• Use of fermentation-based probiotics and postbiotics in sustainable animal production;
• Validated case studies on traditional fermentation practices from diverse regions;
• Sustainable feed enhancement using natural microbial consortia;
• Health-promoting roles of traditionally fermented products in human and animal nutrition.

Significance of the Special Issue

• Promote natural and sustainable microbial technologies rooted in indigenous ecological knowledge;
• Advance the bioprospecting of beneficial microbial strains for food and animal feed;
• Elevate and respect indigenous contributions to global biotechnology and microbiome research;
• Explore holistic solutions to climate change, food insecurity, and antimicrobial resistance through the lens of natural fermentation.

Prof. Dr. Abdelfattah Salem
Prof. Dr. Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour
Prof. Pasquale De Palo
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

• natural microbes
• fermented feeds
• climate change
• nutrient bioavailability
• animal productivity
• animal heat stress