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Advances in Functional Compounds from Fermented Foods

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 August 2023) | Viewed by 7096

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chun Li

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Guest Editor

1. Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
2. Heilongjiang Green Food Science Research Institute, Harbin 150028, China
Interests: fermented foods; lactic acid bacteria; probiotics; bioactive components; encapsulation; health function

Prof. Dr. Libo Liu

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: fermented foods; dietary components nutrition and safety; functional dairy product development; targeted metabolic regulation of probiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Xue Han

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Guest Editor

School of Medicine and Health, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: lactic acid bacteria and probiotics function; functional dairy products

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fermented food defined as food made by expected microbial growth and enzyme conversion of food ingredients by the "Fermented Food Consensus" issued by the International Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics Sciences (ISAPP) in 2021 , such as yeast, aspergillus, lactic acid bacteria, and so on. The foods produced by these microorganisms are generally divided into five categories, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products, bean products, vegetables, and condiments. Fermentation is not only used as a preservation technology to extend the shelf life of food, but also used as a processing technology to make ideal changes in sensory characteristics and nutrition and health ingredients. Biological enzymes, flavor substances, health factors, inhibition of miscellaneous bacteria, improvement of texture and other important functions in the fermentation process endow the fermented food with more nutrition, health and safety. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide the latest research in the field of i) flavor and nutrition regulation of fermented foods; ii) study on the application of probiotics in fermented food; iii) fermentation technology based on grains, milk and fruits and vegetables; iv) the creation of new fermented food; v) safety control of fermented food production.

Prof. Dr. Chun Li
Prof. Dr. Libo Liu
Prof. Dr. Xue Han
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. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

fermented food
probiotic
gut microbiota
fermented food processing
functional foods
dairy foods
food chemistry
metabolism regulation
food protein
food fat

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Efficacy of Fermented Garlic and Orlistat (Lipase Inhibitor) in Obesity Management Using an Experimental Rodent Model

by Mavra Javed, Waqas Ahmed, Azmatullah Khan and Imtiaz Rabbani

Foods 2023, 12(21), 3905; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12213905 - 25 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1564

Abstract

Background: Black garlic, also known as fermented garlic, is a useful food that may have therapeutic benefits. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of fermented garlic and orlistat therapy on obese rats. Methods: A total of 40 male albino rats (245–250 g) were fed either an HFD (n = 32) or a normal diet (n = 8) for 6 weeks; therefore we randomly assigned the rats into: group I (normal diet), group II (HFD), groups III and IV (HFD with fermented garlic), and group V (orlistat for) 6 weeks. Two different dosages of fermented garlic (481.2 mg/kg and 963.3 mg/kg) were administered. Afterward, blood was collected, body weight was measured, and tissue was collected for further analysis. Results: Both the orlistat and black garlic groups showed a significant reduction in BMI, lipid profiles, and insulin levels compared with the baseline. The orlistat group showed significant elevation (p < 0.005) in body weight, organ weight, lipids, and liver parameters, with histopathological findings. The administration of black garlic improved the inflammatory markers with all other parameters. Conclusion: The fermented garlic and orlistat reinstated all of the investigated parameters significantly (p < 0.05), especially body weight and lipid profiles, and induced histopathological changes compared to the drug orlistat. Additionally, it showed anti-obesity-related therapeutic impacts compared with the orlistat drug. Black garlic provides a reliable and effective treatment for obesity compared to orlistat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Compounds from Fermented Foods)

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13 pages, 3385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication and Characterization of Apple-Pectin–PVA-Based Nanofibers for Improved Viability of Probiotics

by Asad Nawaz, Sana Irshad, Noman Walayat, Mohammad Rizwan Khan, Muhammad Waheed Iqbal and Xiaofang Luo

Foods 2023, 12(17), 3194; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12173194 - 24 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1115

Abstract

In the current study, apple-pectin-based novel nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and apple pectin (PEC) solution were mixed to obtain an optimized ratio for the preparation of electrospun nanofibers. The obtained nanofibers were characterized for their physiochemical, mechanical and thermal properties. The nanofibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, an assay of the in vitro viability of free and encapsulated probiotics was carried out under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The results of TGA revealed that the PVA/PEC nanofibers had good thermal stability. The probiotics encapsulated by electrospinning showed a high survival rate as compared to free cells under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Furthermore, encapsulated probiotics and free cells showed a 3 log (cfu/mL) and 10 log (cfu/mL) reduction, respectively, from 30 to 120 min of simulated digestion. These findings indicate that the PVA/PEC-based nanofibers have good barrier properties and could potentially be used for the improved viability of probiotics under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and in the development of functional foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Compounds from Fermented Foods)

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15 pages, 3072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production of a Fungal Punicalagin-Degrading Enzyme by Solid-State Fermentation: Studies of Purification and Characterization

by Pedro Aguilar-Zárate, Gerardo Gutiérrez-Sánchez, Mariela R. Michel, Carl W. Bergmann, José J. Buenrostro-Figueroa, Juan A. Ascacio-Valdés, Juan C. Contreras-Esquivel and Cristóbal N. Aguilar

Foods 2023, 12(4), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040903 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1559

Abstract

The present work describes the purification of an enzyme capable of degrading punicalagin. The enzyme was produced by Aspergillus niger GH1 by solid-state fermentation, and the enzyme production was induced by using ellagitannins as the sole carbon source. The purification steps included the concentration by lyophilization, desalting, anionic exchange, and gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme kinetic constants were calculated by using punicalagin, methyl gallate, and sugar beet arabinans. The molecular mass of the protein was estimated by SDS-PAGE. The identified bands were excised and digested using trypsin, and the peptides were submitted to HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The docking analysis was conducted, and a 3D model was created. The purification fold increases 75 times compared with the cell-free extract. The obtained Km values were 0.053 mM, 0.53% and 6.66 mM for punicalagin, sugar beet arabinans and methyl gallate, respectively. The optimal pH and temperature for the reaction were 5 and 40 °C, respectively. The SDS-PAGE and native PAGE analysis revealed the presence of two bands identified as α-l-arabinofuranosidase. Both enzymes were capable of degrading punicalagin and releasing ellagic acid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Compounds from Fermented Foods)

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Review

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19 pages, 1331 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in the Metabolic Mechanism and Functional Characteristics of Equol

by Yining Gong, Jiaping Lv, Xiaoyang Pang, Shuwen Zhang, Guofang Zhang, Libo Liu, Yunna Wang and Chun Li

Foods 2023, 12(12), 2334; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122334 - 10 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2463

Abstract

Equol is the most potent soy isoflavone metabolite and is produced by specific intestinal microorganisms of mammals. It has promising application possibilities for preventing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and prostate cancer due to its high antioxidant activity and hormone-like activity. Thus, it is of great significance to systematically study the efficient preparation method of equol and its functional activity. This paper elaborates on the metabolic mechanism of equol in humans; focuses on the biological characteristics, synthesis methods, and the currently isolated equol-producing bacteria; and looks forward to its future development and application direction, aiming to provide guidance for the application and promotion of equol in the field of food and health products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Compounds from Fermented Foods)

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