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Advances in Food Biotechnology: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations for Sustainable...
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Advances in Food Biotechnology: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 August 2026 | Viewed by 3709

Editors

Dr. Lilian Raquel Hickert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Recovery and Treatment Laboratory, University of Rio Grande do Sul State (UERGS), R. Washington Luiz, 675-Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre 90010-460, RS, Brazil
Interests: bioprocesses applied to food production, product development and process optimization based on biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Manuela Poletto Klein

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Interests: immobilization of enzymes of industrial interest; development of different supports for immobilizing enzymes and in the synthesis of prebiotics for application as a functional ingredient in food
Dr. Lovaine Silva Duarte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bioprocess and Biotechnology for Food Research Center (Biofood), Food Science and Technology Institute (ICTA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
Interests: enzyme technology; enzymology; proteins; fermentation; industrial biotechnology protein expression; bioprocess engineering and fermentation technology; enzyme activity; microbial fermentation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food biotechnology encompasses the application of modern biotechnological tools, particularly microbial and enzymatic approaches, to improve the quality, safety, nutritional value, functionality, and sustainability of food products. In recent years, significant advances have emerged in the development of innovative fermentation processes, microbial consortia, and enzyme-based bioconversions capable of enhancing traditional food systems and generating novel ingredients or functional foods. This Special Issue aims to gather original research articles, reviews, and short communications that explore biotechnological innovations in food production, with emphasis on the use of bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and their enzymes. Topics of interest include starter culture optimization, metabolic engineering, enzymatic hydrolysis, valorization of agro-industrial by-products, and applications in clean-label product development. This Special Issue provides a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and highlights the potential of biotechnology to address global food challenges through science, innovation, and sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Lilian Raquel Hickert
Prof. Dr. Manuela Poletto Klein
Dr. Lovaine Silva Duarte
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

  • food biotechnology
  • microbial fermentation
  • enzyme
  • food systems
  • yeasts
  • fungi

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1578 KB  
Article
In Situ Effects of 4,6-α- and 4,3-α-Glucanotransferases During Sourdough Fermentation: Assessing Microbial Community Dynamics, Bread Glycemic Index, Staling, and Texture
by Duygu Zehir-Şentürk, Furkan Demirgül, Ramazan Tolga Niçin, Redife Aslıhan Ucar and Ömer Şimşek
Foods 2026, 15(15), 2757; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15152757 - 5 Aug 2026
Viewed by 233
Abstract
Although some lactic acid bacteria species harbor genes encoding α-glucanotransferases (4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase), the technological and functional implications of these enzymes within sourdough ecosystems remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects associated with α-GTase-positive and α-GTase-negative strains of Limosilactobacillus reuteri and L. [...] Read more.
Although some lactic acid bacteria species harbor genes encoding α-glucanotransferases (4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase), the technological and functional implications of these enzymes within sourdough ecosystems remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects associated with α-GTase-positive and α-GTase-negative strains of Limosilactobacillus reuteri and L. fermentum on sourdough microbiota, bread quality, and starch digestibility. Starter culture inoculation steered the assembly of the sourdough microbiota, resulting in stable acidification and altered microbial community structures. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that starter culture addition generally increased taxonomic richness, while Shannon and Simpson diversity indices varied according to strain genotype and inoculation level. Sourdoughs fermented with α-GTase-positive strains exhibited higher viscosity while maintaining shear-thinning behavior, which was putatively linked to in situ enzymatic synthesis. Additionally, inoculation with these strains improved bread specific volume, suggesting a possible structural modification of the starch matrix or the overlapping effects of fermentation metabolites. During storage, the 4,3-α-GTase-positive L. fermentum PFC282 strain delayed the increase in bread hardness, reflecting a possible mitigation of amylopectin retrogradation and indicating a potential anti-staling effect. In addition, the 4,6-α-GTase-positive L. reuteri PFC338 strain produced breads with lower estimated glycemic index values, suggesting a lower susceptibility to enzymatic starch hydrolysis likely due to the hypothesized alterations in structural linkages. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of α-GTase-positive sourdough starter cultures to modulate the technological and nutritional properties of bread. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Food Biotechnology: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems)
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16 pages, 2092 KB  
Article
Computer-Aided Virtual Saturation Mutagenesis Improves the Lignocellulose-Degrading Performance of an Aspergillus niger LPMO
by Lin Yuan, Weixue Yuan, Jiaxin Han, Ge Wang, Jie Jia, Wenqi Xu, Shuang Wang, Shuang Bi, Menglei Xia and Lijuan Ma
Foods 2026, 15(12), 2178; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15122178 - 16 Jun 2026
Viewed by 354
Abstract
Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are promising enzymes for lignocellulose degradation; however, wild-type LPMOs often exhibit limited catalytic activity and stability. In this study, computer-aided virtual saturation mutagenesis was applied to AnLPMO15g from Aspergillus niger, and eight potentially beneficial mutants (S197H, S197F, [...] Read more.
Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are promising enzymes for lignocellulose degradation; however, wild-type LPMOs often exhibit limited catalytic activity and stability. In this study, computer-aided virtual saturation mutagenesis was applied to AnLPMO15g from Aspergillus niger, and eight potentially beneficial mutants (S197H, S197F, E185V, E185L, E185M, E185I, Q108M, and A249P) were identified based on predicted changes in unfolding free energy (∆∆G). Six mutants demonstrated enhanced activity in a 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP) oxidation assay, which serves as a proxy for peroxidase-like activity. The E185V mutant exhibited a 45% increase over the wild type. The triple mutant E185V/Q108M/A249P further increased the catalytic efficiency by 56%. Notably, when combined with cellulase, E185V/Q108M/A249P enabled a 202.5% increase in reducing sugars from wheat straw, achieving a synergy degree of 1.83, highlighting its potential to improve agricultural residue conversion. Molecular dynamics simulation suggested that the E185V/Q108M/A249P triple mutant induced flexible conformational changes in six residues, which may improve substrate binding affinity. This study presents an effective strategy for engineering AA9 family LPMOs to enhance catalytic performance, facilitating efficient and cost-effective degradation of lignocellulosic biomass with implications for sustainable agricultural waste management and circular bioeconomy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Food Biotechnology: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems)
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21 pages, 2201 KB  
Article
Impact of Ethanol Stress on Yarrowia lipolytica for Sustainable Bioconversion of Agro-Food Oil Wastes into Lipases and Lipids
by Amina Laribi, Joanna Bryś, Abderrahmane Selmania, Assia Ikhlef, Insaf Btaïche, Abdelghani Mouzai, Bartłomiej Zieniuk and Doria Naila Bouchedja
Foods 2025, 14(21), 3696; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213696 - 29 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1403
Abstract
Ethanol stress profoundly affects yeast metabolism, yet its integrated impact on lipase activity and lipid remodeling in Yarrowia lipolytica remains unexplored. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the combined effects of ethanol-induced stress on lipase production and fatty acid profiles in Y. [...] Read more.
Ethanol stress profoundly affects yeast metabolism, yet its integrated impact on lipase activity and lipid remodeling in Yarrowia lipolytica remains unexplored. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the combined effects of ethanol-induced stress on lipase production and fatty acid profiles in Y. lipolytica cultivated on two hydrophobic substrates: olive mill wastewater (OMW) and Waste Frying Oil (WFO). Ethanol was applied at increasing concentrations (3%, 5%, and 7% v/v), and the physiological responses were monitored over time (48, 72, and 96 h). Our results reveal a substrate-dependent and dose-dependent response to ethanol. Lipase activity was significantly enhanced at 5% ethanol, reaching 0.55 ± 0.11 U/mL in the OMW medium after 48 h. In comparison, mild stress (3%) induced the de novo synthesis of C20:1 (eicosenoic acid) and C20:2 (eicosadienoic acid), indicating reprogramming of lipid biosynthetic pathways. Oxidative stability, assessed by pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC), markedly improved in OMW-derived lipids, with τon increasing from 30.48 ± 0.80 to 47.07 ± 3.92 min and τmax from 35.73 ± 0.62 to 54.04 ± 1.99 min under 3% ethanol. Conversely, WFO-derived samples exhibited lower oxidative stability and less pronounced changes in lipid composition. These findings demonstrate that Y. lipolytica adapts its lipid metabolism differently depending on the substrate, and that controlled ethanol exposure can enhance both lipase secretion and lipid oxidative resistance, underscoring its potential as a robust biocatalyst for sustainable biorefineries and the valorization of agro-food oil wastes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Food Biotechnology: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems)
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