Lactic Acid Bacteria in Functional Foods: Health Effects, Current Applications, and Future Trends
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 April 2026 | Viewed by 50
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food microbiology; lactic acid bacteria; fermentation; probiotic; gut microbiome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: gut microbiota; probiotics; lactic acid bacteria; fermented food
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a crucial role in the development of functional foods due to their unique metabolic activities and beneficial effects on human health. These microorganisms are widely used in the fermentation of various foods, where they enhance sensory properties, improve shelf life and contribute to nutritional value. They produce bioactive metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocins, vitamins and exopolysaccharides, which play important role in both food quality and host health. Beyond their traditional applications, LAB are increasingly recognized for their probiotic properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, modulation of gut microbiota, immunomodulation, and potential role in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases. Furthermore, the use of probiotics in dermatology has gained attention due to their ability to modulate skin microbiota, enhance barrier function and reduce inflammation. Topical and oral probiotics have shown promising effects in managing skin conditions such as acne, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
This Special Issue invites review articles and original research papers focusing on the health effects, mechanisms of action, and technological applications of LAB in functional foods. The aim is to provide an updated and holistic overview of the status and future directions of LAB in the functional foods.
Prof. Dr. Jadranka Frece
Guest Editor
Dr. Nina Čuljak
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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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
- lactic acid bacteria
- functional food
- fermentation
- bioactive metabolites
- probiotics
- topical formulation
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