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Special Issue "Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2023 | Viewed by 9507

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. João Miguel F. Rocha

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Guest Editor

Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Department of Chemical Engineering (DEQ), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), Porto, Portugal
Interests: food microbiota; chromatography and mass spectrometry; separation processes; valorisation of agro-food by-products; fermentation processes and microbial starter cultures; sourdough and breadmaking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mercedes Tamame

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Guest Editor

Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics (IBFG), Salamanca, Spain
Interests: yeasts genetics and molecular biology; industrial yeasts; new starters for bread and wine making; yeast hybrids; microbiomes of fermented doughs, vineyards and wines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a comprehensive Special Issue covering virtually all scientific lines of food microbiology. Topics include the prospection of microbial species in food and feed matrixes and their genotypic and phenotypic characterization, the contribution of beneficial strains, innovative fermentation and technological procedures towards nutritional and health attributes of food, and the exploitation of microbial metabolites.

Culture-dependent and independent techniques for systematic analyses of bacterial and fungal microbiomes are to be considered. The screening and characterization of food spoilage microorganisms, and its potential risks and effects on consumers is another subject to be included in this Special Issue. Topics related to the role of fermentation and the potential of encrypted phenotypic traits of microorganisms towards food hygiene, safety, and resistance to microbial spoilage are welcome. The elucidation of microbial dynamics and relationships with biotic and abiotic factors are of interest. The contribution of beneficial microorganisms, starter cultures, and innovative fermentation and processing technologies to the nutritional, technological, and health attributes of food should be highlighted in this Special Issue. The identification, characterization, and production of functional microbial substances during fermentation or by elected microorganisms will be highly relevant to designing breakthrough metabolites for food, feed, nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, and the elucidation of the corresponding metabolic pathways and optimal growth conditions.

Dr. João Miguel F. Rocha
Dr. Mercedes Tamame
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. 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 2200 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.

Related Special Issue

Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites in Microorganisms (9 articles)

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

16S-rRNA-Based Metagenomic Profiling of the Bacterial Communities in Traditional Bulgarian Sourdoughs

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Microorganisms 2023, 11(3), 803; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11030803 - 21 Mar 2023

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Abstract

Sourdoughs (SDs) are spontaneously formed microbial ecosystems composed of various species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acid-tolerant yeasts in food matrices of cereal flours mixed with water. To date, more than 90 LAB species have been isolated, significantly impacting the organoleptic characteristics, shelf life, and health properties of bakery products. To learn more about the unique bacterial communities involved in creating regional Bulgarian sourdoughs, we examined the metacommunities of five sourdoughs produced by spontaneous fermentation and maintained by backslopping in bakeries from three geographic locations. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the former genus Lactobacillus was predominant in the studied sourdoughs (51.0–78.9%). Weissella (0.9–42.8%), Herbaspirillum (1.6–3.8%), Serratia (0.1–11.7%), Pediococcus (0.2–7.5%), Bacteroides (0.1–1.3%), and Sphingomonas (0.1–0.5%) were also found in all 5 samples. Genera Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, Bacillus, and Asaia were sample-specific. It is interesting to note that the genus Weissella was more abundant in wholegrain samples. The greatest diversity at the species level was found in the former genus Lactobacillus, presented in the sourdough samples with 13 species. The UPGMA cluster analysis clearly demonstrated similarity in species’ relative abundance between samples from the same location. In addition, we can conclude that the presence of two main clusters—one including samples from mountainous places (the cities of Smolyan and Bansko) and the other including samples from the city of Ruse (the banks of the Danube River)—may indicate the impact of climate and geographic location (e.g., terrain, elevation, land use, and nearby water bodies and their streams) on the abundance of microbiome taxa. As the bacterial population is crucial for bread standardization, we expect the local bakery sector to be interested in the relationship between process variables and their effect on bacterial dynamics described in this research study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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Open AccessArticle

Maximizing Laboratory Production of Aflatoxins and Fumonisins for Use in Experimental Animal Feeds

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Microorganisms 2022, 10(12), 2385; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10122385 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 784

Abstract

Warm and humid climatic conditions coupled with poor agricultural practices in sub-Saharan Africa favor the contamination of food and feed by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides fungi, which subsequently may produce aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs), respectively. The growth of fungi and the production of mycotoxins are influenced by physical (temperature, pH, water activity, light and aeration), nutritional, and biological factors. This study aimed at optimizing the conditions for the laboratory production of large quantities of AFs and FBs for use in the animal experiments. A. flavus and F. verticillioides strains, previously isolated from maize in Kenya, were used. Levels of AFB1 and total FBs (FB1, FB2, and FB3) in different growth substrates were screened using ELISA methods. Maize kernels inoculated with three different strains of A. flavus simultaneously and incubated at 29 °C for 21 days had the highest AFB1 level of 12,550 ± 3397 μg/kg of substrate. The highest level of total FBs (386,533 ± 153,302 μg/kg of substrate) was detected in cracked maize inoculated with three different strains of F. verticillioides and incubated for 21 days at temperatures of 22–25 °C in a growth chamber fitted with yellow light. These two methods are recommended for the mass production of AFB1 and FBs for animal feeding trials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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Open AccessArticle

Screening of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Strains from Sourdoughs for Biosuppression of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Botrytis cinerea in Table Grapes

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Microorganisms 2022, 10(11), 2094; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10112094 - 22 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 922

Abstract

Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) are an essential crop for fresh consumption and wine production. Vineyards are attacked by several economically important bacterial and fungal diseases that require regular pesticide treatment. Among them, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Ps. syringae) and Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea) infections cause huge economic losses. The fresh fruit market has shifted to functional natural foodstuffs with clear health benefits and a reduced use of chemicals along the production chain. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a biopreservative effect and are applied to ensure food safety in response to consumers’ demands. In the present study, the possibilities of using microorganisms with a potential antimicrobial effect against Ps. syringae and B. cinerea in the production of table grapes were investigated. LAB of the genus Lactiplantibacillus can be a natural antagonist of pathogenic bacteria and fungi by releasing lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, carbon dioxide and bacteriocins in the medium. The present study focuses on the characterization of nine Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lp. plantarum) strains isolated from spontaneously fermented sourdoughs. Species-specific PCR identified the isolated LAB for partial recA gene amplification with an amplicon size of 318 bp. RAPD-PCR analysis showed the intraspecific diversity of the individual strains. Thirteen plantaricin-like peptides (PlnA, PlnB, PlnC, PlnD, PlnEF, PlnG, PlnI, PlnJ, PlnK, PlnN, PlnNC8, PlnS, and PlnW) produced by isolated Lp. plantarum strains were detected by PCR with gene-specific primers. The key features for future industrial applications were their antimicrobial properties. The culture medium and cell-free supernatant (CFS) were used to establish in vitro antimicrobial activities of Lp. plantarum strains against Ps. syringae and B. cinerea, and inhibition of phytopathogen development was observed. The inhibitory effect of the CFS (cell-free supernatant) of all strains was assessed by infecting table grapes with these pathogens in in vivo experiments. Lp. plantarum Q4 showed the most effective suppression of the pathogens both in vitro and in vivo, which indicates its potential use as a biocontrol agent against berry rot and grey rot on grapes, caused by Ps. syringae and B. cinerea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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Open AccessArticle

Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis by Curcumin-Mediated Photodynamic Technology through Inducing Oxidative Stress Response

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Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040802 - 12 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1408

Abstract

Photodynamic sterilization technology (PDT) is widely used in disease therapy, but its application in the food industry is still at the research stage because of the limitations of food-grade photosensitizers. Curcumin exhibits photosensitivity and is widely used as a food additive for its natural color. This study aimed to determine the effect of curcumin-mediated photodynamic technology (Cur-PDT) on Bacillus subtilis and to elucidate the anti-bacterial mechanism involved. First, the effects of curcumin concentration, duration of light irradiation, light intensity, and incubation time on the inactivation of B. subtilis were analyzed. It was found that Cur-PDT inactivated 100% planktonic cells with 50 μmol/L curcumin in 15 min (120 W). Then, the cell morphology, oxidation state and the expression of membrane structure- and DNA damage-related genes of B. subtilis vegetative cells were investigated under different treatment conditions. The membrane permeability of cells was enhanced and the cell membrane structure was damaged upon treatment with Cur-PDT, which were exacerbated with increases of treatment time and curcumin concentration. Meanwhile, the production of reactive oxygen species increased and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPX, and CAT decreased inside the cells. Furthermore, the Cur-PDT treatment significantly downregulated the mRNA of the membrane protein TasA and upregulated the DNA damage recognition protein UvrA and repair protein RecA of B. subtilis. These results suggested that curcumin-mediated PDT could effectively inactivate B. subtilis by inducing cell redox state imbalance, damaging DNA, and disrupting membrane structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

The Impacts of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on the Functional Properties of Fermented Foods: A Review of Current Knowledge

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Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040826 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2613

Abstract

One of the most varied species of lactic acid bacteria is Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum), formerly known as Lactobacillus plantarum. It is one of the most common species of bacteria found in foods, probiotics, dairy products, and beverages. Studies related to genomic mapping and gene locations of Lb. plantarum have shown the novel findings of its new strains along with their non-pathogenic or non-antibiotic resistance genes. Safe strains obtained with new technologies are a pioneer in the development of new probiotics and starter cultures for the food industry. However, the safety of Lb. plantarum strains and their bacteriocins should also be confirmed with in vivo studies before being employed as food additives. Many of the Lb. plantarum strains and their bacteriocins are generally safe in terms of antibiotic resistance genes. Thus, they provide a great opportunity for improving the nutritional composition, shelf life, antioxidant activity, flavour properties and antimicrobial activities in the food industry. Moreover, since some Lb. plantarum strains have the ability to reduce undesirable compounds such as aflatoxins, they have potential use in maintaining food safety and preventing food spoilage. This review emphasizes the impacts of Lb. plantarum strains on fermented foods, along with novel approaches to their genomic mapping and safety aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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Open AccessReview

Antimicrobial Impacts of Microbial Metabolites on the Preservation of Fish and Fishery Products: A Review with Current Knowledge

Nikheel Bhojraj Rathod

Nilesh Prakash Nirmal

Asif Pagarkar

Fatih Özogul

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João Miguel Rocha

Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040773 - 03 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2718

Abstract

Microbial metabolites have proven effects to inhibit food spoilage microbiota, without any development of antimicrobial resistance. This review provides a recent literature update on the preservative action of metabolites derived from microorganisms on seafood. Fish and fishery products are regarded as a myriad of nutrition, while being highly prone to spoilage. Several proven controversies (antimicrobial resistance and health issues) related to the use of synthetic preservatives have caused an imminent problem. The demand for minimally processed and naturally preserved clean-label fish and fishery products is on rise. Metabolites derived from microorganisms have exhibited diverse preservation capacities on fish and fishery products’ spoilage. Inclusions with other preservation techniques, such as hurdle technology, for the shelf-life extension of fish and fishery products are also summarized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening and Characterization of the Diversity of Food Microorganisms and Their Metabolites 2022)

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