Exploring Fermentation Strategies for the Valorization of Food By-Products and Their Bioactive Potential—2nd Edition
A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation for Food and Beverages".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 824
Special Issue Editor
Interests: fermentation strategies; bioactive compounds; food biotechnology; food by-products; food microbiology; food science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fermentation using microorganisms such as fungi and lactic acid bacteria has been employed for centuries to improve the nutritional quality and functionality of foods. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the valorization of fruit and food by-products as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds for functional food development, health promotion, and disease prevention in both human and animal nutrition systems. Fermentation strategies, including submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF), have emerged as powerful tools for converting food by-products into value-added ingredients, enabling enzyme production, enhanced release of bioactive compounds, and modulation of nutritional and functional profiles. However, despite significant progress, important knowledge gaps remain regarding the optimization of fermentation parameters, the comparative performance of SmF and SSF, and the role of indigenous or underexplored microorganisms with enhanced bioconversion capacity. Recent advances have also highlighted the importance of understanding fermentation-driven mechanisms that influence the extraction, transformation, and bioavailability of bioactive compounds, as well as their interactions with gut microbiota and their potential health-related effects in human and animal models. In addition, the environmental and sustainability implications of using food by-products in fermentation-based processes—within the framework of circular bioeconomy—require further investigation. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide a platform for high-quality original research and review articles addressing innovative and advanced fermentation strategies for the valorization of food by-products, with particular emphasis on SmF and SSF, bioactive compound functionality, bioavailability, and sustainable food and feed system applications.
Original research articles and reviews are both welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Optimization of solid-state and submerged fermentation processes;
- Comparative analyses of fermentation strategies;
- Extraction and production of enzymes, metabolites, or bioactive compounds derived from fermentation;
- Characterization of fermentation-derived metabolites using in vitro, in vivo, and simulated digestion models relevant to human or animal health;
- Mechanisms governing the release, transformation, and bioavailability of bioactive compounds during fermentation;
- Role of microbial consortia and underexplored microorganisms in by-product valorization;
- Fermentation-driven modulation of functional and nutritional properties;
- Sustainability, circular bioeconomy, and environmental assessment of fermentation-based valorization processes.
Prof. Dr. Tomas García-Cayuela
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 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
- food by-products
- solid-state fermentation
- submerged fermentation
- functional ingredients
- bioactive compounds
- fermentation-derived metabolites
- enzyme production
- circular bioeconomy
- food and feed applications
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