Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment...
share announcement

Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment in the Production of Probiotic (Fermented) Foods and Beverages

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 4262

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vincenzina Fusco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy
Interests: microbial food safety; foodborne pathogenic bacteria; molecular methods; genomics; milk and dairy products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Daniele Chieffi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production, CNR-ISPA, Bari, Italy
Interests: food safety and quality; probiotics; foodborne pathogenic bacteria; S. aureus; A. butzleri; molecular methods; genomics; milk and dairy products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a heterogenous group of microorganisms that share the ability to produce lactic acid as the main product of sugar fermentation. These bacteria play a pivotal role in the production of fermented foods. Besides their technological role, many strains of LAB also possess probiotic attributes. Several species of food-associated LAB have obtained QPS status, which is the European equivalent of the United States’ Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status. However, some LAB strains act as opportunistic pathogens, prompting the need for a thorough safety evaluation for each strain intended for use as a probiotic or producer of postbiotics.  In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to send contributions concerning any aspects related to the functional and safety characterization of lactic acid bacteria and their use to produce probiotic (fermented) foods and beverages.

Dr. Vincenzina Fusco
Dr. Daniele Chieffi
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

  • lactic acid bacteria
  • fermented foods and beverages
  • probiotics
  • safety assessment
  • genomics

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 1959 KB  
Article
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z45 from Sour Soup Improves Flavor and Safety of Fermented Corn: Insights from Genomic and Metabolomic Approaches
by Mengdi Zhao, Yuanyuan Zhang, Yi Wu, Shuang Liang and Guangyu Li
Foods 2025, 14(21), 3803; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213803 - 6 Nov 2025
Abstract
Sour soup, a traditional fermented specialty from Northeast China, is renowned for its distinctive aroma and various health benefits. Here, we report the probiotic properties of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z45—a strain isolated from sour soup broth—along with its fermentative potential in sour soup production. [...] Read more.
Sour soup, a traditional fermented specialty from Northeast China, is renowned for its distinctive aroma and various health benefits. Here, we report the probiotic properties of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z45—a strain isolated from sour soup broth—along with its fermentative potential in sour soup production. This strain is suitable for food fermentation due to its absence of biogenic amine production and non-hemolytic activity. It exhibited strong tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions and demonstrated high adherence capability to Caco-2 cells. Additionally, the strain displayed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Z45 carries no virulence or antibiotic resistance genes. It also harbors multiple carbohydrate-active enzymes and a complete folate biosynthesis pathway, alongside genes associated with stress response, antioxidant activity, and adhesion. Subsequently, Z45 was employed as a starter culture for sour soup fermentation, and its effects on the physicochemical and sensory properties of the product were evaluated. The results indicated that fermentation with Z45 did not alter the physicochemical properties of sour soup but significantly enhanced its sensory attributes. Compared to spontaneous fermentation, Z45-fermented sour soup showed reduced levels of harmful biogenic amines, improved flavor and overall sensory quality, notable enrichment of Lactobacillus and Oscillospirales in the microbial community, and upregulation of beneficial metabolites such as flavonoids and glycerophosphocholine. In summary, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z45 is safe, demonstrates probiotic potential, and holds promise for improving the quality and functional properties of fermented foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment in the Production of Probiotic (Fermented) Foods and Beverages)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

23 pages, 4355 KB  
Article
Foodborne Lactic Acid Bacteria Inactivate Planktonic and Sessile Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a Meat Processing Environment: A Physiological and Proteomic Study
by Lucia Cisneros, Ayelen Antonella Baillo, Diego Ploper, María Pia Valacco, Silvia Moreno, Osvaldo Yantorno, Vincenzina Fusco and Silvina Fadda
Foods 2025, 14(21), 3670; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213670 - 28 Oct 2025
Viewed by 271
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) forms persistent biofilms on meat processing surfaces, posing a significant cross-contamination risk. This study assessed the antagonistic capacity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against EHEC under meat-processing-like conditions. Three LAB strains were tested in planktonic co-culture with EHEC at [...] Read more.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) forms persistent biofilms on meat processing surfaces, posing a significant cross-contamination risk. This study assessed the antagonistic capacity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against EHEC under meat-processing-like conditions. Three LAB strains were tested in planktonic co-culture with EHEC at 12 °C, all displaying bactericidal activity. In biofilm assays on stainless steel, LAB reduced EHEC biofilms without affecting their own viability. LAB cell-free supernatants further inhibited EHEC biofilms by 2.6–3.5 log CFU/cm2, highlighting the role of secreted antagonistic compounds. Among the tested strains, Pediococcus pentosaceus CRL 2145 showed the strongest effect and was selected for deeper analysis. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed EHEC cell death within mixed biofilms. Proteomic profiling of CRL 2145 under mixed-biofilm conditions revealed 162 differentially expressed proteins, with 156 upregulated. These proteins were mainly associated with metabolism, transcription, translation, and stress response pathways, suggesting a multifactorial inhibitory mechanism involving metabolic dominance, physical competition, and secretion of antagonistic molecules. Overall, this study deepens our understanding of the molecular and physiological aspects of LAB–EHEC interaction. P. pentosaceus CRL 2145 emerges as a promising biocontrol agent that could be applied, alone or with its supernatants, to meat processing surfaces to improve food safety. Proteomic data: ProteomeXchange PXD067300. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment in the Production of Probiotic (Fermented) Foods and Beverages)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 2318 KB  
Article
Probiotic Insights from the Genomic Exploration of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Strains Isolated from Fermented Palm Sap
by Phoomjai Sornsenee, Komwit Surachat, Dae-Kyung Kang, Remylin Mendoza and Chonticha Romyasamit
Foods 2024, 13(11), 1773; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111773 - 5 Jun 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3241
Abstract
This study focused on L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap in southern Thailand that exhibit potential probiotic characteristics, including antibiotic susceptibility, resistance to gastrointestinal stresses, and antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. However, a thorough investigation of the whole genome sequences of [...] Read more.
This study focused on L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap in southern Thailand that exhibit potential probiotic characteristics, including antibiotic susceptibility, resistance to gastrointestinal stresses, and antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. However, a thorough investigation of the whole genome sequences of L. paracasei isolates is required to ensure their safety and probiotic properties for human applications. This study aimed to sequence the genome of L. paracasei isolated from fermented palm sap, to assess its safety profile, and to conduct a comprehensive comparative genomic analysis with other Lacticaseibacillus species. The genome sizes of the seven L. paracasei strains ranged from 3,070,747 bp to 3,131,129 bp, with a GC content between 46.11% and 46.17% supporting their classification as nomadic lactobacilli. In addition, the minimal presence of cloud genes and a significant number of core genes suggest a high degree of relatedness among the strains. Meanwhile, phylogenetic analysis of core genes revealed that the strains possessed distinct genes and were grouped into two distinct clades. Genomic analysis revealed key genes associated with probiotic functions, such as those involved in gastrointestinal, oxidative stress resistance, vitamin synthesis, and biofilm disruption. This study is consistent with previous studies that used whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics to assess the safety and potential benefits of probiotics in various food fermentation processes. Our findings provide valuable insights into the potential use of seven L. paracasei strains isolated from fermented palm sap as probiotic and postbiotic candidates in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria: Functional and Safety Characterization and Employment in the Production of Probiotic (Fermented) Foods and Beverages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop