ABSTRACT
Functional foods are those that confer physiological and metabolic benefits, being able to reduce the risk of diseases, in addition to their basic nutritional functions. Food or food products can also be considered functional after the removal or modification of components, to reduce anti-nutritional factors or increase the bioavailability of certain ingredients, and these processes are often mediated by enzymes. Also, bioactive compounds can be extracted from foods or food wastes through enzyme technologies. This chapter presents the scientific advances and commercial applications related to fungal enzymes used in the segment of functional foods, namely, carbohydrate hydrolases, proteases, transglutaminases, and lipases. To evaluate the technological advances and innovations, a patent search was carried out, surveying the processes, products, or utility models that are being protected in this area.
