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Foods
Special Issues
Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products
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Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Grain".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3043

Editors

Dr. Yufeng He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: fermentation; probiotic; gut microbiota; barley; microbial interaction
Dr. Guangsu Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: probiotic; fermentation; gut microbiota; brown rice; gut–brain axis; microbial interaction
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Witthöft

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, 392 31 Kalmar, Sweden
Interests: food analyses; plant foods; food (bio-)processing; human intervention trials; folate bioavailability; food and health
Dr. Mohammed Hefni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, 392 31 Kalmar, Sweden
Interests: plant-based foods; food (bio)-processing; bioactive compounds; health effects; mass spectrometry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Grains and legumes are basic materials for food, and are considered an excellent source of multiple nutrients. In recent years, the health-conscious consumer market has shifted to natural foods due to prioritizing health, sensory, and nutritional awareness; hence, a greater understanding of how processing alters the quality of natural food materials is required. Fermentation and germination are traditional biotechnological processes of cereal and legume products. With the help of these techniques, the sensory quality, nutritional quality, digestibility, and bioactivity can be significantly enhanced. Microorganisms and enzymes are the core driving force of the fermentation and germination process. Therefore, understanding the relationships between microbes, enzymes, and product qualities during fermentation and germination is a significant subject in food science.

This Special Issue is focused on the study of fermentation and germination applied to grain and legume products. Works that delve into the improvement of the product’s quality, the evaluation of the health effects, microbial interactions during fermentation, omics analysis of the biological processing procedure, and the identification and characterization of key enzymes are of interest. Articles on innovative analysis, methodologies, and instrumentation are also welcome, as well as those focused on the study of certain components of nutritional interest.

Dr. Yufeng He
Dr. Guangsu Zhu
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Witthöft
Dr. Mohammed Hefni
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-anonymized 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

  • grain
  • legume
  • fermentation
  • germination
  • microorganisms
  • enzyme

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 8573 KB  
Article
Light Intensity and Wavelength Modulate Antioxidant Secondary Metabolites in Embryonic Axis of Chickpea Sprouts
by Luis F. Pérez-Hernandéz, Robert Winkler and Marco A. Mata-Gómez
Foods 2026, 15(14), 2578; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15142578 - 22 Jul 2026
Abstract
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a highly nutritious legume with significant potential as a food plant. With the advent of climate change and the challenge of feeding a growing population, strategies to produce high-nutrient crops are of utmost importance. In this context, [...] Read more.
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a highly nutritious legume with significant potential as a food plant. With the advent of climate change and the challenge of feeding a growing population, strategies to produce high-nutrient crops are of utmost importance. In this context, this study describes how light intensity and wavelength affect the embryonic axis of chickpea sprout metabolism, using untargeted metabolomics. Chickpea sprouts were grown under varying light wavelengths (red—650, green—550, and blue—450 nm) at two intensities (75 and 275 µmol·m−2·s−1). Analyses were restricted to the embryonic axis (hypocotyl), excluding the cotyledons, which are a reserve-rich tissue. Results showed that high-intensity red light (RH) increased phenolic content by more than 300% compared to controls. Green and blue light treatments significantly increased the protein content by more than twice that of the dark control. Antioxidant activity was significantly higher in sprouts grown under high-intensity blue light (BH). Additionally, the results suggested that pathway regulation is affected not only by wavelength but also by light intensity, with greater significance and effect under BH and RH treatments in isoflavonoid biosynthesis. High quercetin concentration found under BH is hypothesized to explain the high antioxidant activity when compared to the rest. For instance, these findings highlight the potential of light manipulation to modulate and enhance the nutritional and functional qualities of chickpea sprouts’ embryonic axis, contributing to food security and human health. Further studies need to be conducted to answer whether these metabolite changes directly translate to the nutritional quality of the whole edible sprouts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products)
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34 pages, 7328 KB  
Article
Structural and Metabolic Remodeling of Mixed Lactic Acid Bacteria-Fermented Wheat Germ and Its In Vitro and In Vivo Digestive Stability
by Zhenguo Liu, Dong Liang, Xin Wang, Shiyou Yu, Dawei Fu, Yongqiang Ma, Chunran Han, Yu Hao, Yiying Ma and Qingmin Kong
Foods 2026, 15(4), 750; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040750 - 18 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 662
Abstract
Fermentation utilizing a combination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is known to enhance the nutritional value of wheat germ extract via the production of functional bioactive compounds. In this work, fermentation via compound LAB significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of wheat germ extract. [...] Read more.
Fermentation utilizing a combination of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is known to enhance the nutritional value of wheat germ extract via the production of functional bioactive compounds. In this work, fermentation via compound LAB significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of wheat germ extract. Compared to the unfermented group (CON), the in vitro antioxidant indices of Lactobacillus fermented wheat embryo extract were increased significantly: DPPH·+/ABTS·+ clearance (67.87 ± 3.48%/71.44 ± 5.90%), FRAP value (1.33 ± 0.02 μmol Trolox/10 mg), and active substance content including GSH (78.04 ± 1.43 μmol/g), total phenols (0.53 ± 0.01 mg GAE/10 mg), and total flavonoids (0.032 ± 0.01 mg/10 mg). Moreover, the antioxidant activity and substances of lactic acid bacteria-fermented wheat embryo extract were improved after gastrointestinal digestion compared with CON. In the erastin-induced Drosophila oxidative stress model, LFWGC intervention significantly improved behavioral performance (12.6 ± 3.78 s of tube climbing and 101.2 ± 7.98 jumps) and increased in vivo antioxidant levels: DPPH·+·+ clearance by 31.75 ± 0.62%, ABTS·+ clearance by 50.11 ± 0.82%, FRAP to 0.89 ± 0.03 μmol Trolox/10 mg, and GSH (116.30 ± 1.95 μmol/g), total phenols (0.117 ± 0.01 mg GAE/mg), and total flavonoids (0.027 ± 0.002 mg/g). Mechanistically, LFWGC enriched the intestinal flora with Levilactobacillus and Pseudomonas by restoring Tsf1 protein function, upregulating the expression of the TSF1 and GPX4 genes, and activating the pentose phosphate and a-lanine–aspartate-glutamate metabolic pathways, thereby synergistically enhancing the antioxidant defense system. LAB fermentation effectively enhanced the antioxidant capacity of wheat germ extract, providing a theoretical foundation for the development of functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products)
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21 pages, 3814 KB  
Article
Effects of Chemical Composition and Intramolecular Structural Characteristics of Black Rice Varieties on Glycemic Index and Their Regulation Under Different Processing Conditions
by Dandan Wang, Ming Wu, Qingmin Kong, Yizhu Wang, Chunmin Ma, Xin Bian, Dong Liang, Xiaofei Liu and Na Zhang
Foods 2026, 15(4), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15040715 - 14 Feb 2026
Viewed by 763
Abstract
This study explored how the chemical composition and molecular structure of black rice influence its glycemic index (GI), as well as how different processing methods regulate these relationships. Eight black rice varieties were analyzed for their nutritional composition, physicochemical and rheological properties, and [...] Read more.
This study explored how the chemical composition and molecular structure of black rice influence its glycemic index (GI), as well as how different processing methods regulate these relationships. Eight black rice varieties were analyzed for their nutritional composition, physicochemical and rheological properties, and protein structural characteristics. Results showed that higher protein and lipid contents were associated with lower GI values, likely due to reduced starch accessibility and slower enzymatic digestion. Varieties with more ordered protein conformations and stronger molecular interactions exhibited lower GI, indicating that protein structural organization plays an important role in starch digestibility. Among the tested varieties, “Huamoxiang” showed the highest GI (68.40 ± 2.04), while “Yanghei No. 3” exhibited the lowest GI (49.27 ± 4.14). Low-GI varieties were further subjected to different processing treatments. Fermentation effectively reduced GI by 8.44% by limiting starch gelatinization and enzymatic susceptibility, while puffing maintained a low GI through molecular rearrangement of starch. In contrast, steaming disrupted ordered starch structures and significantly increased GI. Overall, these findings provide practical guidance for selecting black rice varieties and processing strategies to develop low-GI black rice products, supporting the design of functional foods and dietary management for glycemic control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products)
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Review

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33 pages, 2469 KB  
Review
Research Progress Review on the Activation of Bioactive Substances by Targeted Fermentation of Rice Bran
by Dong Liang, Chunxu Wei, Dongdong Liu, Xiaofei Liu, Shuangcai Xiao, Yuhao Wang, Wenru Wang, Yu Hao, Ying Zhu and Qingmin Kong
Foods 2026, 15(11), 1881; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15111881 - 26 May 2026
Viewed by 638
Abstract
Rice bran is a nutrient-rich agricultural by-product, and most of the bioactive compounds in it are bound and thus have poor bioavailability. Research has demonstrated that targeted microbial fermentation is a high-efficiency bioprocess for the degradation and modification of complex macromolecules to release [...] Read more.
Rice bran is a nutrient-rich agricultural by-product, and most of the bioactive compounds in it are bound and thus have poor bioavailability. Research has demonstrated that targeted microbial fermentation is a high-efficiency bioprocess for the degradation and modification of complex macromolecules to release phenolic compounds, flavonoids, dietary fibre derivatives and other new biologically active substances. Fermentation can be used to increase the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and metabolically regulatory effects of rice bran more efficiently by changing its structure and increasing the content of active components compared with the conventional extraction method. Although some studies have investigated how to obtain suitable microbial strains and substrates, optimisation of the processing conditions for improving metabolic and functional performance has not been achieved; otherwise, other problems will still arise in the event of industrial-scale application, such as fluctuations in raw material supply, process instability, and high production costs. In the future, the integration of process analytical technology (PAT), artificial intelligence and microbial engineering will build a large-scale intelligent and controllable fermentation system. Therefore, the specific route of fermentation for valorising rice bran into high-value functional ingredients has been identified, and the scientific foundation for developing sustainable foods and nutraceuticals has been established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Fermented and Germinated Grain and Legume Products)
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