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Microorganisms
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Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art...
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Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art and Technological Advances

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 4783

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gustavo Molina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valeys, Diamantina 39803-371, Brazil
Interests: microbial metabolic engineering; industrial biotechnology; functional ingredients; bioactive compounds

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue titled "Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art and Technological Advances" aims to explore the current landscape and recent developments in the field of the microbial bioproduction of functional and bioactive compounds. Functional ingredients and bioactives derived from microorganisms offer significant potential for enhancing human health, nutrition, and well-being. This issue will cover a broad spectrum of topics including microbial metabolic engineering, fermentation technologies, bioprocess optimization, and the application of synthetic biology to improve yield and efficiency. Emphasis will be placed on innovative methodologies, cutting-edge technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches that drive the bioproduction of compounds such as vitamins, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, and antimicrobial peptides. Contributions discussing the scalability, economic viability, and regulatory considerations of these bioproduction processes are also welcome. This Special Issue seeks to gather original research articles, reviews, and case studies that provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and highlight future directions in the bioproduction of functional and bioactive ingredients.

Prof. Dr. Gustavo Molina
Guest Editor

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. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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

  • microbial metabolic engineering
  • upscale technology
  • bioprocess optimization
  • agroindustrial residues
  • functional ingredients
  • bioactive compounds
  • probiotics and prebiotics
  • antimicrobial peptides
  • vitamins and antioxidants
  • industrial biotechnology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2789 KiB  
Article
Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment Enhances the Enzyme Hydrolysis of Baker’s Yeast
by Ralitsa Veleva, Valentina Ganeva and Miroslava Zhiponova
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2470; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122470 - 1 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1092
Abstract
Baker’s yeast is a key starting material for producing extracts with diverse compositions and applications. This study investigates the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment, which induces irreversible electropermeabilization, on the enzymatic hydrolysis of yeast. Cell suspensions were exposed to monopolar rectangular [...] Read more.
Baker’s yeast is a key starting material for producing extracts with diverse compositions and applications. This study investigates the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment, which induces irreversible electropermeabilization, on the enzymatic hydrolysis of yeast. Cell suspensions were exposed to monopolar rectangular pulses in a continuous flow system followed by 4 h of incubation with Alcalase at concentrations of 0.2% and 0.5%. PEF pretreatment significantly improved enzymatic hydrolysis, with maximum intracellular content recovery under electrical conditions resulting in outlet temperatures of 56–58 °C. The released protein reached 163.7 ± 13 mg per gram of dry cell weight (DCW). SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the extracts predominantly contained peptides with molecular masses below 4.7 kDa. The phenolic content was comparable to that of cell lysates obtained after mechanical disruption. The free α-amino nitrogen content and total antioxidant activity reached 218.2 ± 26 mg/gDCW and 53.4 ± 4.6 mg TE/gDCW, respectively, representing 3.2-fold and 2.65-fold increases compared to cell lysates. The hydrolysates from PEF-pretreated cells demonstrated a positive effect on the proliferation of the human keratinocyte cell line HaCat. The obtained data lead to the conclusion that PEF pretreatment is a promising approach to enhance the production of yeast hydrolysates with various applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art and Technological Advances)
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19 pages, 2422 KiB  
Article
Study of Different Parameters Affecting Production and Productivity of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) and γ-Linolenic Acid (GLA) by Cunninghamella elegans Through Glycerol Conversion in Shake Flasks and Bioreactors
by Gabriel Vasilakis, Christina Roidouli, Dimitris Karayannis, Nikos Giannakis, Emmanuel Rondags, Isabelle Chevalot and Seraphim Papanikolaou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102097 - 20 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1691
Abstract
Microbial cultures repurposing organic industrial residues for value-added metabolite production is pivotal for sustainable resource use. Highlighting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), renowned for their nutritional and therapeutic value. Notably, Zygomycetes’ filamentous fungi harbor abundant GLA-rich lipid content, furthering their [...] Read more.
Microbial cultures repurposing organic industrial residues for value-added metabolite production is pivotal for sustainable resource use. Highlighting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), renowned for their nutritional and therapeutic value. Notably, Zygomycetes’ filamentous fungi harbor abundant GLA-rich lipid content, furthering their relevance in this approach. In this study, the strain C. elegans NRRL Y-1392 was evaluated for its capability to metabolize glycerol and produce lipids rich in GLA under different culture conditions. Various carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (C/N = 11.0, 110.0, and 220.0 mol/mol) were tested in batch-flask cultivations. The highest GLA production of 224.0 mg/L (productivity equal to 2.0 mg/L/h) was observed under nitrogen excess conditions, while low nitrogen content promoted lipid accumulation (0.59 g of lipids per g of dry biomass) without yielding more PUFAs and GLA. After improving the C/N ratio at 18.3 mol/mol, even higher PUFA (600 mg/L) and GLA (243 mg/L) production values were recorded. GLA content increased when the fungus was cultivated at 12 °C (15.5% w/w compared to 12.8% w/w at 28 °C), but productivity values decreased significantly due to prolonged cultivation duration. An attempt to improve productivity by increasing the initial spore population did not yield the expected results. The successful scale-up of fungal cultivations is evidenced by achieving consistent results (compared to flask experiments under corresponding conditions) in both laboratory-scale (Working Volume—Vw = 1.8 L; C/N = 18.3 mol/mol) and semi-pilot-scale (Vw = 15.0 L; C/N = 110.0 mol/mol) bioreactor experiments. To the best of our knowledge, cultivation of the fungus Cunninghamella elegans in glycerol-based substrates, especially in 20 L bioreactor experiments, has never been previously reported in the international literature. The successful scale-up of the process in a semi-pilot-scale bioreactor illustrates the potential for industrializing the bioprocess. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art and Technological Advances)
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22 pages, 1633 KiB  
Article
Impact of Spent Mushroom Substrate Combined with Hydroponic Leafy Vegetable Roots on Pleurotus citrinopileatus Productivity and Fruit Bodies Biological Properties
by Ilias Diamantis, Marianna Dedousi, Eirini-Maria Melanouri, Eleni Dalaka, Paraskevi Antonopoulou, Alexandra Adelfopoulou, Seraphim Papanikolaou, Ioannis Politis, Georgios Theodorou and Panagiota Diamantopoulou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(9), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12091807 - 1 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1580
Abstract
Agricultural activities produce large quantities of organic byproducts and waste rich in lignocellulosic materials, which are not sufficiently utilized. In this study, alternative agricultural waste products, namely, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) from the cultivation of edible Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms and the roots of [...] Read more.
Agricultural activities produce large quantities of organic byproducts and waste rich in lignocellulosic materials, which are not sufficiently utilized. In this study, alternative agricultural waste products, namely, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) from the cultivation of edible Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms and the roots of leafy vegetables from hydroponic cultivation (HRL), were evaluated for their potential to be used as substrates for the cultivation of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and their effects on the quality, the nutritional value, the chemical properties (lipid, protein, carbohydrate, ash, fatty acid and carbohydrate composition) and the bioactive content (total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity) of produced mushrooms. SMS and HRL (in different ratios with and without additives) and wheat straw with additives (WS—control) were used. During incubation, the linear growth rate of the mycelium (Kr, mm/day) was measured and used for screening. Mushroom cultivation took place in bags, where several characteristics were examined: earliness (duration between the day of substrate inoculation and the day of first harvest) and biological efficiency (B.E. %, the ratio of the weight of fresh mushrooms produced per dry weight of the substrate × 100). Furthermore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the protein extract (PE) and carbohydrate extract (CE) of P. citrinopileatus after in vitro digestion (fraction less than 3kDa: PE-DP-3; digestate fraction: CE-D, respectively) on the expression of antioxidant-related genes in the THP-1 cell line. The results showed that mushrooms grown on SMS 50%-HRL 40% had the fastest growth (6.1 mm/d) and the highest protein and lipid contents (34.7% d.w.; 5.1% d.w.). The highest B.E. (73.5%), total carbohydrate (65.7%) and total phenolic compound (60.2 mg GAE/g d.w.) values were recorded on the control substrate. Antioxidant activity was observed in all extracts; the total flavonoid content was low in the samples, and the maximum total triterpene value was detected in SMS 80%-HRL 20% (9.8 mg UA/g d.w.). In all mushrooms, linoleic acid (C18:2) was the main fatty acid (above 60%), and fructose was the dominant individual saccharide. In the investigation of the regulation pathway, NFE2L2 gene expression was upregulated only in the SMS 60%-HRL 40% intervention during incubation with CE-D samples. Additionally, the transcription levels of antioxidant-related genes, SOD1, CAT, HMOX1 and GSR, were increased in the SMS 60–30% intervention. Compared to WS, the alternative substrates are observed to trigger a pathway concerning CE that may resist oxidative stress. This study supports the utilization of agricultural byproducts through sustainable and environmentally friendly practices while simultaneously producing high-value-added products such as mushrooms. Therefore, alternative substrates, particularly those containing HRL, could serve as natural sources of antioxidant potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproduction of Functional and Bioactive Ingredients: State of the Art and Technological Advances)
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