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Molecular Tools for the Development of Fermented Functional Foods Enriched with Bioactive Compounds

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 1425

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Food Technology Department. National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CSIC), Carretera de La Coruña Km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: lactic acid bacteria; functional foods; bioactive compounds; riboflavin; GABA

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Food Technology Department, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CSIC), Carretera de La Coruña Km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: phytoestrogens; genetic engineering; lactic acid bacteria; bioactive compounds
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, public concern regarding health has increased. Taking into account that it is expected that more than 35% of the world’s population will be 65 years old or older in 2050, consumers demand foods that, apart from their nutritional properties, provide them with health benefits. In this sense, recent innovative trends of consumers include a growing demand for fermented and easily digestible foods that contain probiotics as well as prebiotics aimed at achieving better gastrointestinal health. This includes naturally functional foods, such as those that contain bioactive ingredients with high bioavailability that come from vegetable-based foods, or through the revaluation of industrial food by-products with the aim of contributing to the sustainability of the food system. In addition, there is a striking demand for foods that play a fundamental role in our mental system and mental health. Due to the recent description of the intestinal–brain axis, it has been shown that foods that protect the intestinal microbiota are capable of alleviating symptoms of diseases such as depression and anxiety, as well as others such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. In short, the food demands of consumers are directed towards the development of new fermented foods, enriched in bioactive compounds, capable of not only improving the quality and safety of food but also providing health properties to the consumer. Hence, the main topic of this Special Issue is directed towards the application of molecular tools that could be applied for the development of functional foods through fermentation using technological microorganisms and through processes that exclusively involve enzymes of microbial origin that are capable of producing, improving, and increasing the availability of various compounds. This would also include the use of molecular tools for the selection of microorganisms with the ability to produce bioactive compounds, as well as their application for increasing the production of such compounds through fermentation.

Dr. Susana Langa
Dr. Jose Antonio Curiel
Dr. José María Landete
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • molecular tools
  • fermentation
  • lactic acid bacteria
  • yeast
  • fungi
  • recombinant enzymes
  • probiotic
  • prebiotic
  • polyphenols
  • vitamins
  • food by-product valorization
  • bioactive compounds
  • antioxidant
  • anti-hypertensive
  • anti-carcinogenic
  • antimicrobial
  • anti-aging
  • food and beverages
  • GABA

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 620 KiB  
Article
Selection of GABA-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains by Polymerase Chain Reaction Using Novel gadB and gadC Multispecies Primers for the Development of New Functional Foods
by Susana Langa, Silvia Santos, José Antonio Flores, Ángela Peirotén, Susana Rodríguez, José Antonio Curiel and José María Landete
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413696 - 21 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1154
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been attributed to health-promoting properties and has received attention from the food industry as an attractive bioactive compound for the development of functional foods. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce GABA through a glutamate decarboxylase encoded by gadB [...] Read more.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been attributed to health-promoting properties and has received attention from the food industry as an attractive bioactive compound for the development of functional foods. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce GABA through a glutamate decarboxylase encoded by gadB and a glutamate/GABA antiporter encoded by gadC. In this study, we develop a molecular screening method based on a polymerase chain reaction able to detect those genes in different LAB species through the use of novel multispecies primers. PCR was performed in 92 LAB strains of six different species. The primer pair designed for gadB allowed its identification in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactococcus cremoris, Lactococcus lactis, Levilactobacillus brevis, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Limosilactobacillus reuteri strains. For gadC, two different primer pairs were designed for its detection in different species. Glutamate decarboxylase activity (GAD assay) and GABase enzymatic quantification were also assessed. Among those strains showing glutamate decarboxylase activity, 93.2% harbored the gadB gene, and those showing GABA production had the gadB gene and exhibited glutamate decarboxylase activity. PCR detection of gadB correlates strongly with GABA production and constitutes a good strategy for the selection of LAB with high yields (>18 mM) that could be used for the development of GABA-enriched functional foods. Full article
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