Applications of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermented Foods and Beverages: Second Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) play a key role in the production of several fermented foods and beverages, such as fermented vegetables, wine and beer, milk-based products, fermented meat, and fish, among others. Advances in the study of fermented food and beverage microbiomes have shed light on the ecology and impact of bacteria and the quality of the final products. In addition, the advent of novel powerful technologies (e.g., omics technologies) has enabled the culture-independent assessment of the whole microbiome, as well as gene transcription and metabolomic analyses. Moreover, data integration, through bioinformatic tools, has provided an in-depth understanding of the bacterial biota composition and physiological responses to external stimuli, leading to the customization of final products to align with consumer needs. As was recently pointed out, the functionality of fermented foods, and the health benefits associated with their consumption, is a topic of great interest.

This Special Issue aims to collect research and review papers that present innovative viewpoints concerning the biotechnology of fermented foods and beverages, delving into aspects related to the microbial composition and dynamics during fermentation, the impact of both biotic and abiotic factors on the development of the microbiota and the metabolome, and the fate of bioactive compounds associated with health benefits.

Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

• LAB ecology in fermented foods and beverages;
• The use of LAB for the control of food pathogens and alterative microorganisms;
• LAB and the safety of fermented foods;
• Lactic acid fermentation and bioactive metabolites;
• The use of LAB with health-promoting features for the production of functional foods;
• Molecular tools to unravel the health benefits of fermented foods;
• Omics approaches in traditional and innovative fermented foods and beverages.

Dr. Alessandra Pino
Guest Editor

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.

• lactic acid bacteria
• fermented foods
• probiotics