Abstract
Fungal growth and consequent mycotoxin release in food and feed threatens human health, which might even, in acute cases, lead to death. Control and prevention of foodborne poisoning is a major task of public health that will be faced in the 21st century. Nowadays, consumers increasingly demand healthier and more natural food with minimal use of chemical preservatives, whose negative effects on human health are well known. Biopreservation is among the safest and most reliable methods for inhibiting fungi in food. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of great interest as biological additives in food owing to their Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) classification and probiotic properties. LAB produce bioactive compounds such as reuterin, cyclic peptides, fatty acids, etc., with antifungal properties. This review highlights the great potential of LAB as biopreservatives by summarizing various reported antifungal activities/metabolites of LAB against fungal growth into foods. In the end, it provides profound insight into the possibilities and different factors to be considered in the application of LAB in different foods as well as enhancing their efficiency in biodetoxification and biopreservative activities.
Highlights
Fungi are among the most serious food-spoiling micro-organisms threatening the quality and health of food, food products, and feed [1]
In situ application of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with antifungal activity in some foods have proven potential to act better than synthetic preservatives and competency to replace them in the foods
LAB release antifungal metabolites against fungal species, which in many cases work in strong synergy
Summary
Fungi are among the most serious food-spoiling micro-organisms threatening the quality and health of food, food products, and feed [1]. The biopreservation of food products by natural and biological compounds may be a satisfactory alternative to solving microbial spoilage of food and food products and its consequent economic loss, which will contribute to reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses [6]. According to extensive studies in recent decades, LAB being able to produce active compounds such as fatty acids, organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, peptides, and reuterin represent ideal biopreservatives for conventional chemical antifungal preservatives against spoilage and toxigenic compounds in food [7,8]. Foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic fungi as well as the hazards of synthetic preservatives for human health were outlined. A comprehensive insight into various aspects of the application of LAB as biopreservatives in foods was provided
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