Chapter 20 - Fermented foods and immunological effects in humans and animal models

Abstract

The food matrix comprising either simple or complex carbohydrate profile can be successfully fermented to yield an enhanced product with extended shelf life, significant added sensory attributes, and an increase in nutritional value. The antinutrient contents, where present, are lowered with resultant significant health benefits. The probiotic content of fermented foods has several positive health effects; these include the support and strengthening of the immune system. Lactic acid bacteria catalyze the oxidation of substrates from plants and animals to form products considerable in number, volume, and diversity. The desirable edible products are formed in line with the culture of the communities where they are consumed in Africa and Asia. Recent research has shown that the consumption of probiotic organisms found in fermented foods modulates different aspects of acquired and natural immune responses. The intestinal enterocytic cells secrete chemokines and cytokines, which are largely influenced by strains of lactic acid bacteria. The amounts of anti-inflammatory lymphokines are increased with the subsequent stimulation of B and T cells. Furthermore, probiotics are beneficial when consumed because they arrest the progression of allergies and improve the ability to fight against intestinal infections. To this end, much research has evolved in recent times concerning the consequences of using lactic acid bacteria to ferment substrates and their effects on GIT and immunomodulation. Relevant research is discovering how fermented products can influence immune function.