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Recent Advances and Future Trends in Fermented and Functional Foods:...
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Recent Advances and Future Trends in Fermented and Functional Foods: 2nd Edition

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: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 4120

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jayanta Kumar Patra

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Guest Editor
Research Institute of Integrative Life Sciences, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds; medicinal plants; functional foods; biomolecules; nanobiotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gitishree Das

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Guest Editor
Research Institute of Integrative Life Sciences, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: antioxidant activity; medicinal plants; functional foods; plant stress; green synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Han-Seung Shin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science & Biotechnology Director, Food and Bio-Safety Research Center Director, Institute of Lotus Functional Food Ingredient, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: functional foods; antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Spiros Paramithiotis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: food microbiology; food biotechnology; molecular microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health and wellness are two of the core segments of fast-moving consumer goods, with the ever-increasing health consciousness of consumers around the globe. Functional foods and beverages, formulated from natural ingredients with targeted physiological functions, are at the heart of research and development in the food industry. The application of modern biotechnology methods in the food and agricultural industry is expected to alleviate hunger today and help avoid mass starvation in the future. Modern food biotechnology has transformed the traditional methods of food production and preparation far beyond the traditional scope. Currently, at global level, food biotechnological research is focused on traditional process optimization (starter culture development, enzymology, fermentation), food safety and quality, nutritional quality improvement and food preservation (improving shelf life). The fermentation of substrates considered for human consumption has been applied for centuries as a process that enhances shelf life, sensory properties, and nutritional value. Special emphasis has also been given to the newly growing concept such as functional foods and probiotics. The application of biotechnology in the food sciences has led to an increase in food production and enhanced the quality and safety of food. The current Special Issue will provide a platform for generating data on more recent information and research available in this sphere throughout the world in the form of valuable researches, reviews and mini reviews on all aspects related to future prospects in fermented and medicinal foods.

Dr. Jayanta Kumar Patra
Dr. Gitishree Das
Prof. Dr. Han-Seung Shin
Dr. Spiros Paramithiotis
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

  • functional food and nutraceuticals
  • medicinal foods
  • plant cell culture for functional foods
  • traditional foods with medicinal values
  • fermentation technology
  • evolving techniques in food processing
  • genetically modified organisms in food
  • food safety and quality
  • nutritional quality improvement
  • nanotechnology in food

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1683 KiB  
Article
Safety and Quality Improvement of NaCl-Reduced Banana and Apple Fermented with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei
by Jose M. Martín-Miguélez, Josué Delgado, Irene Martín, Alberto González-Mohino and Lary Souza Olegario
Foods 2025, 14(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14010051 - 27 Dec 2024
Viewed by 738
Abstract
Food preservation techniques changed during the industrial revolution, as safer techniques were developed and democratized. However, one of the simplest techniques, adding salt, is still employed in a wide variety of products, not only as a flavor enhancer but as a method to [...] Read more.
Food preservation techniques changed during the industrial revolution, as safer techniques were developed and democratized. However, one of the simplest techniques, adding salt, is still employed in a wide variety of products, not only as a flavor enhancer but as a method to allow for the controlled fermentation of products such as fruits. The objective of the present study consists of evaluating the quality of different salt-reduced fermented fruits through the application of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and vacuum, as well as assessing the LAB as a preventive measure against Escherichia coli O157:H7. To achieve this goal, microbial plate count techniques, the evaluation of the physicochemical characteristics, and Check-All-That-Apply/Rate-All-That-Apply sensory analyses were performed on bananas and apples individually fermented at 30 °C for 2 and 7 days, respectively. Additionally, a challenge test using E. coli as pathogenic bacteria was performed. The characteristics of each fruit determined the efficiency of the LAB’s protective activity. LAB-inoculated batches controlled the growth of E. coli in both salted fruits, but this pathogenic bacterium in the apple case was controlled even in the salt-reduced batch. Sensorially, only inoculated fermented apples found a reduction in off-flavor and old fruit smell; however, higher acceptability was found in the salt-reduced with LAB batches of both fruits. Thus, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei proved to be a cheap, easy, and feasible protective method that can ensure a protective strategy on salt-reduced fermented apples and should be studied particularly for different fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Future Trends in Fermented and Functional Foods: 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 2022 KiB  
Article
Novel Dairy Fermentates Have Differential Effects on Key Immune Responses Associated with Viral Immunity and Inflammation in Dendritic Cells
by Dearbhla Finnegan, Claire Connolly, Monica A. Mechoud, Jamie A. FitzGerald, Tom Beresford, Harsh Mathur, Lorraine Brennan, Paul D. Cotter and Christine E. Loscher
Foods 2024, 13(15), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152392 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2280
Abstract
Fermented foods and ingredients, including furmenties derived from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in dairy products, can modulate the immune system. Here, we describe the use of reconstituted skimmed milk powder to generate novel fermentates from Lactobacillus helveticus strains SC232, SC234, SC212, and SC210, [...] Read more.
Fermented foods and ingredients, including furmenties derived from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in dairy products, can modulate the immune system. Here, we describe the use of reconstituted skimmed milk powder to generate novel fermentates from Lactobacillus helveticus strains SC232, SC234, SC212, and SC210, and from Lacticaseibacillus casei strains SC209 and SC229, and demonstrate, using in vitro assays, that these fermentates can differentially modulate cytokine secretion via bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) when activated with either the viral ligand loxoribine or an inflammatory stimulus, lipopolysaccharide. Specifically, we demonstrate that SC232 and SC234 increase cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12p40, IL-23, IL-27, and IL-10 and decrease IL-1β in primary bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) stimulated with a viral ligand. In contrast, exposure of these cells to SC212 and SC210 resulted in increased IL-10, IL-1β, IL-23, and decreased IL-12p40 following activation of the cells with the inflammatory stimulus LPS. Interestingly, SC209 and SC229 had little or no effect on cytokine secretion by BMDCs. Overall, our data demonstrate that these novel fermentates have specific effects and can differentially enhance key immune mechanisms that are critical to viral immune responses, or can suppress responses involved in chronic inflammatory conditions, such as ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Future Trends in Fermented and Functional Foods: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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36 pages, 1745 KiB  
Review
The Role of Whey in Functional Microorganism Growth and Metabolite Generation: A Biotechnological Perspective
by Iuliu Gabriel Malos, Andra-Ionela Ghizdareanu, Livia Vidu, Catalin Bogdan Matei and Diana Pasarin
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1488; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091488 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 420
Abstract
The valorization of cheese whey, a rich by-product of the dairy industry that is rich in lactose (approx. 70%), proteins (14%), and minerals (9%), represents a promising approach for microbial fermentation. With global whey production exceeding 200 million tons annually, the high biochemical [...] Read more.
The valorization of cheese whey, a rich by-product of the dairy industry that is rich in lactose (approx. 70%), proteins (14%), and minerals (9%), represents a promising approach for microbial fermentation. With global whey production exceeding 200 million tons annually, the high biochemical oxygen demand underlines the important need for sustainable processing alternatives. This review explores the biotechnological potential of whey as a fermentation medium by examining its chemical composition, microbial interactions, and ability to support the synthesis of valuable metabolites. Functional microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus helveticus, L. acidophilus), yeasts (Kluyveromyces marxianus), actinobacteria, and filamentous fungi (Aspergillus oryzae) have demonstrated the ability to efficiently convert whey into a wide range of bioactive compounds, including organic acids, exopolysaccharides (EPSs), bacteriocins, enzymes, and peptides. To enhance microbial growth and metabolite production, whey fermentation can be carried out using various techniques, including batch, fed-batch, continuous and immobilized cell fermentation, and membrane bioreactors. These bioprocessing methods improve substrate utilization and metabolite yields, contributing to the efficient utilization of whey. These bioactive compounds have diverse applications in food, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and biofuels and strengthen the role of whey as a sustainable biotechnological resource. Patents and clinical studies confirm the diverse bioactivities of whey-derived metabolites and their industrial potential. Whey peptides provide antihypertensive, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial benefits, while bacteriocins and EPSs act as natural preservatives in foods and pharmaceuticals. Also, organic acids such as lactic acid and propionic acid act as biopreservatives that improve food safety and provide health-promoting formulations. These results emphasize whey’s significant industrial relevance as a sustainable, cost-efficient substrate for the production of high-quality bioactive compounds in the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and bioenergy sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances and Future Trends in Fermented and Functional Foods: 2nd Edition)
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