ABSTRACT
Fermented foods are common throughout the world and for centuries the fermentation processes have been adopted for preserving perishable foods, such as those of plant origin. Over the years, the wide variety of fermented foods has been influenced by socio-cultural aspects of different ethnic groups as well as by the availability of variety of plant resources depending on the geographic areas (Tamang and Samuel 2010). Common vegetables that can be fermented include cabbage, cauliflower, leafy mustard, radish, carrot, cucumber, green onion, pumpkin, tomato, spinach, asparagus, lettuce, broccoli, ginger, bamboo shoot, in addition to several juices extracted from vegetables and fruits (Di Cagno et al. 2013, Marsh et al. 2014). Vegetable fermented foods and beverages are obtained through the metabolism of yeasts and bacteria, mainly represented by the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group. These microorganisms ferment the chemical components of raw materials, thus improving some aspects such as organoleptic, sensory properties and nutritional value of foods, while increasing digestibility and biodegradation of anti-nutritive factors or other undesirable compounds, and causing the release of release of antimicrobial substances and antioxidants. Besides, probiotic LAB can confer functional properties on the final product. (Drosinos and Paramithiotis 2012, Di Cagno et al. 2013, Filannino et al. 2015). The interest for LAB has evolved over time. Besides the protechnological aspect related to their role as starter cultures in fermentation processes, their probiotic activities are also gaining considerable attention
2 Lactic Acid Bacteria of Fermented Fruits and Vegetables Pasquale Russo1, Graziano Caggianiello2, Mattia Pia Arena1, Daniela Fiocco2, Vittorio Capozzi1 and Giuseppe Spano1*
1 Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, via Napoli 25, 71122, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
