ABSTRACT
With the increased public awareness on the effect of food on human health, there is a tendency for consuming high-quality and value-added food products with relevant health benefits, namely nutraceuticals. Recently, nutraceuticals or functional foods with probiotic properties, including sourdough and fermented products, has grabbed consumers’ attention. Sourdough, with its complicated flora resulting from the fermentation of cereals or pseudocereals has a demonstrated effect on the macro- and micro-nutrient composition of food. Sourdough fermentation leads to hydrolysis of dietary fibers and proteins, retards fat rancidity, and increases the release of bioactive compounds (i.e., bioactive peptides). Moreover, these fermentations can also reduce the mycotoxin and anti-nutritional factors, as well as improve the digestibility and enhance the sensory profile and taste of foods. Throughout this chapter, the main microflora of sourdough, chemical and enzymatic reactions during sourdough fermentation, released compounds and by-products of these reactions, main biological activities of the produced compounds, and the applications of derived compounds in cereal and non-cereal-based food products are summarized.
