Probiotic fermentation of polyphenols: potential sources of novel functional foods
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Date
2022-09
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Abstract
Fermented functional food products are among the major segments of food processing industry. Fermentation
imparts several characteristic effects on foods including the enhancement of organoleptic characteristics, increased
shelf-life, and production of novel health beneficial compounds. However, in addition to macronutrients present in
the food, secondary metabolites such as polyphenols are also emerging as suitable fermentable substrates. Despite
the traditional antimicrobial view of polyphenols, accumulating research shows that polyphenols exert differential
effects on bacterial communities by suppressing the growth of pathogenic microbes while concomitantly promoting
the proliferation and survival of probiotic bacteria. Conversely, probiotic bacteria not only survive among polyphenols
but also induce their fermentation which often leads to improved bioavailability of polyphenols, production of novel
metabolic intermediates, increased polyphenolic content, and thus enhanced functional capacity of the fermented
food. In addition, selective fermentation of combinations of polyphenol-rich foods or fortification with polyphenols
can result in novel functional foods. The present narrative review specifically explores the potential of polyphenols as
fermentable substrates in functional foods. We discuss the emerging bidirectional relationship between polyphenols
and probiotic bacteria with an aim at promoting the development of novel functional foods based on the amalgama
tion of probiotic bacteria and polyphenols.