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Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2023) | Viewed by 24156

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Dr. Xinping Lin

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Guest Editor

National Marine Food Engineering Technology Research Center, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
Interests: fermented food; starter culture; flavor; lactic acid bacteria; yeast
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Songyi Lin

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Guest Editor

National Marine Food Engineering Technology Research Center, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China
Interests: foods; intestinal microbes; bioconversion of food resources; food-derived protein (peptide); food function and nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a kind of microorganism that can ferment carbohydrates and an industrially important group of microorganisms used in food fermentations, such as dairy, meat, wine, and vegetables. Several species of LAB are regarded as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and allowed to be inoculated for food fermentation as starter cultures due to their ability to improve the flavor, increase nutrition, reduce harmful substances, increase shelf-life, and so on. Recently, as the probiotic, bioprotective, and biocontrol functions of LAB are reported, the application of LAB and their metabolites is attracting attention. It has been proven through various scientiﬁc studies that many diseases have been treated with probiotic or postbiotics. In addition, LAB produce metabolites (i.e., antimicrobial peptides) related to food safety on and prevent the growth of pathogens or function at degrading non-nutritive and harmful substances in food. LAB can also synthesize a variety of organic acids, exopolysaccharides, bacteriocin, vitamins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. In addition to traditional screening methods, genetic engineering is now able to offer more flexibility to LAB with higher production and more varieties. This Special Issue will examine the possibilities of LAB and their metabolites in the expanded application on industrial and health applications.

Dr. Xinping Lin
Prof. Dr. Songyi Lin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

lactic acid bacteria
starter cultures
functional food
human health applications
probiotic and postbiotics
food safety
biopreservation
biodegradation
bioconversion
genetic engineering

Published Papers (11 papers)

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16 pages, 4090 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimization of Exopolysaccharide Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum R301 and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

by Junyong Wang, Jing Zhang, Henan Guo, Qiang Cheng, Zaheer Abbas, Yucui Tong, Tiantian Yang, Yichen Zhou, Haosen Zhang, Xubiao Wei, Dayong Si and Rijun Zhang

Foods 2023, 12(13), 2481; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132481 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1888

Abstract

In this study, the yield of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Lactobacillus plantarum R301 was optimized using a single-factor experiment and response surface methodology (RSM). After optimization, the EPS yield was increased with a fold-change of 0.85. The significant factors affecting EPS production, as determined through a Plackett–Burman design and Central Composite Design (CCD), were MgSO₄ concentration, initial pH, and inoculation size. The maximum yield was 97.85 mg/mL under the condition of 0.01% MgSO₄, an initial pH 7.4, and 6.4% of the inoculation size. In addition, the EPS exhibited strong antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by its ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals. The scavenging rate was up to 100% at concentrations of 4 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the EPS also exhibited reducing power, which was about 30% that of ascorbic acid when both tended to be stable with the increased concentration. These results suggest that L. plantarum R301 EPS possesses different antioxidant mechanisms and warrants further investigation. In addition to its antioxidant activity, the EPS also demonstrated good anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells, which could decrease nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Il-6. These findings suggest that L. plantarum R301 EPS could be used as a potential multifunctional food additive in the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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18 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Antioxidant Capacity of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei TDM-2 and Pediococcus pentosaceus TCM-3 from Qinghai Tibetan Plateau and Their Function towards Gut Modulation

by Tingyu Yang, Xueni Fan, Diantong Li, Tingting Zhao, Dan Wu, Zhenjiang Liu, Danfeng Long, Bin Li and Xiaodan Huang

Foods 2023, 12(9), 1814; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091814 - 27 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1393

Abstract

Probiotic supplementation is a key therapeutic strategy for promoting gut health and maintaining gut homeostasis by modulating functional microbiota. In this study, we isolated two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, Pediococcus pentosaceus TCM-3 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei TDM-2, from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, and evaluated their probiotic properties and antioxidant bioactivity. In which, TDM-2 had higher T-AOC activity than either TCM-3 or LGG (4.10 μmol/mL vs. 3.68 and 3.53 μmol/mL, respectively, p < 0.05). These strains have shown high antioxidant activity compared to the LAB strains and were found to be acid and bile salt tolerant, confronting the safety issues of antibiotic resistance and the capability of surviving in simulated gastric and intestinal juices. In vitro fermentation experiments with human gut microbiota revealed significant differences in microbial community composition between samples supplemented with TCM-3 and TDM-2 and those without. The addition of these two strains resulted in an enrichment of beneficial taxa, such as the Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, and Clostridium_sensu_strictos at the genus level, and Firmicutes and Proteobacteria at the phylum level. Notably, the TCM-3 group exhibited higher short-chain fatty acid production than the TDM-2 group and untreated controls (acetic acid at 12 h: 4.54 mmol L⁻¹ vs. 4.06 mmol L⁻¹ and 4.00 mmol L⁻¹; acetic acid at 24 h: 4.99 mmol L⁻¹ vs. 4.90 mmol L⁻¹ and 4.82 mmol L⁻¹, p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that LAB supplementation with high antioxidant capacity and probiotic properties can promote gut health by modulating functional microbiota and is enriching for beneficial taxa. Our study provides guidance for therapeutic strategies that use novel LAB strains to maintain gut homeostasis and functional microbiota modulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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23 pages, 2965 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Application of Directed Vat Set Indigenous Freeze-Drying Lentilactobacillus hilgardii Q19 Starter in Winemaking

by Ling Wang, Gang Huang, Wen Ma and Gang Jin

Foods 2023, 12(5), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12051053 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1245

Abstract

In order to prepare a better direct vat set for malolactic fermentation (MLF) in high ethanol and low pH wines, the high-ethanol- and low-temperature-tolerant strain Lentilactobacillus hilgardii Q19, which was isolated from the eastern foothill of the Helan Mountain wine region in China, was used to prepare a direct vat set by vacuum freeze-drying. A superior freeze-dried lyoprotectant was obtained to create the starting culture by selecting, combining, and optimizing numerous lyoprotectants with higher protection for Q19 by using a single-factor experiment and response surface approach. Finally, the Lentilactobacillus hilgardii Q19 direct vat set was inoculated in Cabernet Sauvignon wine to carry out MLF on a pilot scale, with commercial starter culture Oeno1 as control. The volatile compounds, biogenic amines, and ethyl carbamate content were analyzed. The results showed that a combination of 8.5 g/100 mL skimmed milk powder, 14.5 g/100 mL yeast extract powder, and 6.0 g/100 mL sodium hydrogen glutamate offered better protection; with this lyoprotectant, there were (4.36 ± 0.34) × 10¹¹ CFU/g cells after freeze-drying, and it showed an excellent ability to degrade L-malic acid and could successfully finish MLF. In addition, in terms of aroma and wine safety, compared with Oeno1, the quantity and complexity of volatile compounds were increased after MLF, and biogenic amines and ethyl carbamate were produced less during MLF. We conclude that the Lentilactobacillus hilgardii Q19 direct vat set could be applied as a new MLF starter culture in high-ethanol wines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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15 pages, 2486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bifidobacterium animalis A12 and Lactobacillus salivarius M18-6 Alleviate Alcohol Injury by keap1-Nrf2 Pathway and Thioredoxin System

by Yan Zhang, Jingsheng Ma, Nanqing Jing, Hongxing Zhang, Yuanhong Xie, Hui Liu, Xiangfen Shan, Jianhua Ren and Junhua Jin

Foods 2023, 12(3), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030439 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1763

Abstract

Excessive drinking can significantly damage people’s health and well-being. Although some lactic acid bacterial strains have been previously shown to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol injury, the mechanism underlying these effects remains unclear. The aim of this study was to establish an alcohol injury model and examine the protective effect and mechanism of B. animalis A12 and L. salivarius M18-6. The results showed that A12 freeze-dried powder could maintain the survival rate of mice with alcohol injury at 100%. Compared with Alco group, L. salivarius M18-6 dead cell improved the survival rate of mice, attenuated liver steatosis, and significantly down-regulated serum Alanine transaminase (ALT) level; at the same time, it activated keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway and up-regulated Superoxide dismutase (SOD), it protects mouse liver cells from oxidative stress induced by alcohol injury. In addition, B. animalis A12 can reduce the stress response to short-term alcohol intake and improve the ability of anti-oxidative stress by upregulating the level of isobutyric acid, reducing the level of keap1 protein in the liver of mice and upregulating the expression of thioredoxin genes (Txnrd1, Txnrd3, Txn1). Taken together, the results showed that B. animalis A12 and L. salivarius M18-6 alleviate alcohol injury in mice through keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway and thioredoxin system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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15 pages, 1164 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Feeding Lactic Acid Bacteria with Different Sugars: Effect on Exopolysaccharides (EPS) Production and Their Molecular Characteristics

by Andrea Fuso, Elena Bancalari, Vincenzo Castellone, Augusta Caligiani, Monica Gatti and Benedetta Bottari

Foods 2023, 12(1), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010215 - 3 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4423

Abstract

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are complex molecules produced by some microorganisms and used in foods as texturizers and stabilizers, their properties depending on their chemical structure. In this work, three different lactic acid bacteria (LAB), were tested for their ability to produce EPS, by using five different mono- and disaccharides as their sole carbon source. The growth and acidifying ability were analysed, the EPSs were quantified by the official method AOAC 991.43, and their chemical structure was investigated. The amount of EPS varied from 0.71 g/L to 2.38 g/L, and maltose was the best sugar for EPS production by Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 2333. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 1019 produced the highest amount when fed with lactose, whereas the EPS amount of Lactobacillus bulgaricus 1932 was not significantly different depending on the sugar type. The EPS chains consisted of fructose, galactose, glucose, mannose, ribose, glucosamine, galactosamine, and in some cases rhamnose in different proportions, depending on the strain and carbon source. The molecular weight of EPS ranged from <10 KDa to >500 KDa and was again highly dependent on the strain and the sugar used, suggesting the possibility of growing different strains under different conditions to obtain EPS with different potential applications in the food system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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18 pages, 2675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food-Grade Bacteria Combat Pathogens by Blocking AHL-Mediated Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Formation

by Kirsi Savijoki, Paola San-Martin-Galindo, Katriina Pitkänen, Minnamari Edelmann, Annika Sillanpää, Cim van der Velde, Ilkka Miettinen, Jayendra Z. Patel, Jari Yli-Kauhaluoma, Mataleena Parikka, Adyary Fallarero and Pekka Varmanen

Foods 2023, 12(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010090 - 24 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2260

Abstract

Disrupting bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signaling is a promising strategy to combat pathogenic biofilms without the development of antibiotic resistance. Here, we report that food-associated bacteria can interfere with the biofilm formation of a Gram-negative pathogenic bacterium by targeting its AHL (acyl-homoserine lactone) QS system. This was demonstrated by screening metabolic end-products of different lactobacilli and propionibacteria using Gram-negative and biofilm-forming Chromobacterium violaceum as the QS reporter and our anti-QS microscale screening platform with necessary modifications. The method was optimized in terms of the inoculation technique and the concentrations of D-glucose and L-tryptophan, two key factors controlling the synthesis of violacein, a purple pigment indicating the activation of the QS system in C. violaceum. These improvements resulted in ca. 16-times higher violacein yields and enabled revealing anti-QS effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lentilactobacillus kefiri, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Propionibacterium freudenreichii, including new cheese-associated strains. Our findings also suggest that acetate and propionate excreted by these species are the main factors that interrupt the QS-mediated signaling and subsequent biofilm growth without affecting the cell viability of the C. violaceum reporter. Thus, the present study reports a revised anti-QS screening method to accurately define new bacteria with an ability to combat pathogens in a safe and sustainable way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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11 pages, 2152 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria-Enhanced Fermentation on the Quality of Suancai

by Xinying Cao, Mingwei Zhao, Sibo Zou, Zhigao Li, Yuzheng Wu, Chaofan Ji, Yingxi Chen, Liang Dong, Sufang Zhang and Huipeng Liang

Foods 2022, 11(21), 3310; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213310 - 22 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1583

Abstract

The lactic acid bacteria (LABs) used for fermentation have an extremely vital impact on the quality of Suancai, a fermented vegetable. The bacterial diversity and metabolites of inoculated Suancai with LABs, including Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum), Levilactabacillus brevis (Lb. brevis), and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (Leu. mesenteroides), were investigated. The inoculation of LABs significantly decreased the pH and the content of nitrite. The Suancai inoculated with LABs had a higher content of the total titratable acidity (TTA) and organic acids than spontaneous fermentation. The LABs inoculation significantly influenced the bacterial community structures, which directly or indirectly caused changes of metabolites. The bacterial community profiles of Suancai inoculated with Lb. plantarum were more similar to spontaneous fermentation. The inoculation of Lb. plantarum, Lb. brevis, and Leu. mesenteroides could increase its abundance in Suancai. Whatever the species inoculated, Lb. plantarum was always the predominant bacterium in Suancai after fermentation. The inoculated LABs were positively correlated with most volatile compounds and amino acids. The inoculated LABs significantly improved the volatile compounds and amino acid content of Suancai. This study could contribute to understanding the function of starters in Suancai fermentation and promote the selection of applicable starters for high-quality Suancai production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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11 pages, 2298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterologous Expression of the Lactobacillus sakei Multiple Copper Oxidase to Degrade Histamine and Tyramine at Different Environmental Conditions

by Xiaofu Wang, Yunsong Zhao, Sufang Zhang, Xinping Lin, Huipeng Liang, Yingxi Chen and Chaofan Ji

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3306; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203306 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1571

Abstract

Biogenic amines (BAs) are produced by microbial decarboxylation in various foods. Histamine and tyramine are recognized as the most toxic of all BAs. Applying degrading amine enzymes such as multicopper oxidase (MCO) is considered an effective method to reduce BAs in food systems. This study analyzed the characterization of heterologously expressed MCO from L. sakei LS. Towards the typical substrate 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), the optimal temperature and pH for recombinant MCO (rMCO) were 25 °C and 3.0, respectively, with the specific enzyme activity of 1.27 U/mg. Then, the effect of different environmental factors on the degrading activity of MCO towards two kinds of BAs was investigated. The degradation activity of rMCO is independent of exogenous copper and mediators. Additionally, the oxidation ability of rMCO was improved for histamine and tyramine with an increased NaCl concentration. Several food matrices could influence the amine-oxidizing activity of rMCO. Although the histamine-degrading activities of rMCO were affected, this enzyme reached a degradation rate of 28.1% in the presence of surimi. Grape juice improved the tyramine degradation activity of rMCO by up to 31.18%. These characteristics of rMCO indicate that this enzyme would be a good candidate for degrading toxic biogenic amines in food systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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17 pages, 1294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pilot-Scale Vinification of Cabernet Sauvignon Using Combined Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Achieve Wine Acidification

by Jiao Jiang, Wenjing Zhang, Yitian Wu, Xuerong Shi, Xiaobing Yang, Yuyang Song, Yi Qin, Dongqing Ye and Yanlin Liu

Foods 2022, 11(16), 2511; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11162511 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

Insufficient acidity in grape berries from warm climate regions has been exacerbated due to global warming, thereby becoming a major concern for winemaking. The wine lactic acid bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum has potential to ameliorate wine acidity by producing lactic acid from hexose metabolism, but its impact on wine compositions and sensory outcomes is not well studied. Here, we evaluated acidification and fermentation performance of indigenous L. plantarum in two inoculation regimes (i.e., reverse inoculation and co-inoculation) by conducting pilot-scale vinification using Cabernet Sauvignon with low acidity. Important parameters of the bio-acidified wines, including fermentation kinetics, basic oenological parameters, volatile and sensory profile were compared to those in wines produced by single Saccharomyces cerevisiae with/without chemical acidification. Total titratable acidity in L. plantarum wines were either comparable or significantly higher compared to the chemical acidification control. Chemical profiling reviewed remarkable differences in certain organic acids and major volatile compounds, especially an up to a five-fold, six-fold, and nine-fold increase in lactic acid, ethyl lactate and isoamyl lactate, respectively. Changes in chemical compositions of the bio-acidified wines resulted in differentiated sensory perception compared to the control wines. Except having higher scores for “wine acidity”, the flavour profile of the bio-acidified wines was shifted towards “jammy fruit” and “butter” aromas. Together, these findings highlighted the applicability of using L. plantarum to induce biological acidification along with modulation of wine flavour. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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12 pages, 1428 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Screening of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum with High Stress Tolerance and High Esterase Activity and Their Effect on Promoting Protein Metabolism and Flavor Formation in Suanzhayu, a Chinese Fermented Fish

by Aoxue Liu, Xu Yan, Hao Shang, Chaofan Ji, Sufang Zhang, Huipeng Liang, Yingxi Chen and Xinping Lin

Foods 2022, 11(13), 1932; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11131932 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1834

Abstract

In this study, three Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, namely 3-14-LJ, M22, and MB1, with high acetate esterase activity, acid, salt, and high-temperature tolerance were selected from 708 strains isolated from fermented food. Then, L. plantarum strains MB1, M22, and 3-14-LJ were inoculated at 10⁷ CFU/mL in the model and 10⁷ CFU/g in actual Suanzhayu systems, and the effects during fermentation on the physicochemical properties, amino acid, and volatile substance were investigated. The results showed that the inoculated group had a faster pH decrease, lower protein content, higher TCA-soluble peptides, and total amino acid contents than the control group in both systems (p < 0.05). Inoculation was also found to increase the production of volatile compounds, particularly esters, improve the sour taste, and decrease the bitterness of the product (p < 0.05). L. plantarum M22 was more effective than the other two strains in stimulating the production of isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, and ethyl octanoate. However, differences were discovered between the strains as well as between the model and the actual systems. Overall, the isolated strains, particularly L. plantarum M22, have good fermentation characteristics and have the potential to become excellent Suanzhayu fermenters in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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Review

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16 pages, 1740 KiB

Open AccessReview

Application of the Reuterin System as Food Preservative or Health-Promoting Agent: A Critical Review

by Mao-Cheng Sun, Zi-Yi Hu, Dian-Dian Li, Yu-Xin Chen, Jing-Hui Xi and Chang-Hui Zhao

Foods 2022, 11(24), 4000; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11244000 - 10 Dec 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2720

Abstract

The reuterin system is a complex multi-component antimicrobial system produced by Limosilactobacillus reuteri by metabolizing glycerol. The system mainly includes 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA, reuterin), 3-HPA dimer, 3-HPA hydrate, acrolein and 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and has great potential to be applied in the food and medical industries due to its functional versatility. It has been reported that the reuterin system possesses regulation of intestinal flora and anti-infection, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Typically, the reuterin system exerts strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. However, the antimicrobial mechanism of the reuterin system remains unclear, and its toxicity is still controversial. This paper presents an updated review on the biosynthesis, composition, biological production, antimicrobial mechanisms, stability, toxicity and potential applications of the reuterin system. Challenges and opportunities of the use of the reuterin system as a food preservative or health-promoting agent are also discussed. The present work will allow researchers to accelerate their studies toward solving critical challenges obstructing industrial applications of the reuterin system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Metabolites: Industrial and Health Applications)

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