Probiotic Potential of Isolated Cultures from Spontaneously or Naturally Fermented Food Products

One of mankind’s most ancient traditions is the fermentation of food, which has resulted in the development of a variety of products with unique sensory and physical characteristics, as well as extended shelf-life. In the early days, traditional fermented foods were highly appreciated for their nutritional and gastronomic properties. However, from the perspective of the 21st century, they can be classified as sources of highly potent and effective beneficial (probiotic) organisms. The evolution of fermented foods has mainly depended on the type of fermenting microorganisms; moreover, knowledge on their specificity and beneficial properties can be extended to their applications not only as foods, but as health and wellbeing supplements. It is certain that spontaneous fermentation gave birth to modern commercial fermentation with the development of starter cultures and probiotics with defined characteristics. Fermented foods were described as functional products from early fermentations due to the health benefits derived from numerous nutrients and microorganisms with probiotic functionality and naturally delivered to consumers as part of their nutritional habits. Thus, the demand for fermented foods has increased rapidly in the last several decades due to these numerous beneficial properties. Recent advances in scientific research have shown that probiotic microorganisms may play a central role in human and animal health through their metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). FAO/WHO recommends the consumption of a serving of food containing approximately 10⁶ cells of probiotic microorganisms per gram or milliliter of product per day. Further, the advent of plant-based, vegan and vegetarian products has created new opportunities for the development of suitable probiotics for the consumers of these products. Therefore, there is an ever-increasing demand for functional food products containing probiotics that suit modern segments of our society. This Special Issue calls for the dissemination of research on the isolation and characterization of potential probiotics from a range of spontaneously fermented foods, with a focus on establishing a link between microbial populations of fermented foods and health benefits for humans and animals—or, simply, to realize Hippocrates’ dream that food should be a medicine and medicine a food.

Prof. Dr. Anthony N. Mutukumira
Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Todorov
Guest Editors

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