Currently, the majority of prebiotics in the market are derived from non-digestible oligosaccharides. Very few studies have focused on non-digestible long chain complex polysaccharides in relation to their potential as novel prebiotics. Cereals β-glucans have been investigated for immune-modulating properties and beneficial effects on obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. Moreover, β-glucans have been reported to be highly fermentable by the intestinal microbiota in the caecum and colon, and can enhance both growth rate and lactic acid production of microbes isolated from the human intestine. In this work, we report the effects of food matrices containing barley β-glucans on growth and probiotic features of four Lactobacillus strains. Such matrices were able to improve the growth rate of the tested bacteria both in unstressed conditions and, importantly, after exposure to in vitro simulation of the digestive tract. Moreover, the effect of β-glucans-containing food on bacterial adhesion to enterocyte-like cells was analyzed and a positive influence on probiotic-enterocyte interaction was observed.

The sparkling wine market has expanded in recent years, boosted by the increasing demand of the global market. As for other fermented beverages, technological yeasts and bacteria selected to design commercial starter cultures represent key levers to maximize product quality and safety. The increasing economic interest in the sector of sparkling wine has also implied a renewed interest in microbial resource management. In this review, after a brief introduction, we report an overview of the main characterization criteria in order to select Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains suitable for use as starter cultures for the production of base wines and to drive re-fermentation of base wines to obtain sparkling wines. Particular attention has been reserved to the technological characterization aspects of re-fermenting phenotypes. We also analysed the possible uses of selected non-Saccharomyces and malolactic strains in order to differentiate specific productions. Finally, we highlighted the main safety aspects related to microbes of enological interest and underlined some microbial-based biotechnological applications helpful to pursue product and process innovations. Overall, the sparkling wine industry may find a relevant benefit from the exploitation of the wide resources associated with vineyard/wine microbial diversity.

In this study, we explored the diversity of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with six spontaneous sourdough fermentations from the northern part of the Apulian region (Italy). Bacterial and yeast isolates from sourdough were investigated by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, respectively. The identification of the isolates was confirmed by sequencing bacterial 16S gene and yeast ITS1–5.8S–ITS2 rRNA gene amplicons. Microbiological analysis of all sourdough samples revealed that LAB and yeast counts ranged between 1.7 × 10⁵ and 6.5 × 10⁸ cfu/g, and 7.7 × 10⁵ and 2.5 × 10⁷ cfu/g, respectively. The molecular identification at species level revealed the occurrence of Lactobacillus plantarum as the dominant LAB and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the dominant yeast species in all different sourdough samples. Then, the ability of all isolated strains to inhibit and/or reduce the growth of several selected fungi was valued through the overlay method. In light of their antifungal performances, ten LAB strains were inoculated, singularly and in combination, in subsequent bread-making trials. Overall, we confirmed the potential of LAB to extend the shelf life of bread through spoilage inhibition and, for the first time, we observed a synergistic effect due to the combination of several isolated LAB on the inhibition behavior against selected fungal spoilage strains. Our findings suggest the exploration of a LAB-based approach in order to extend the shelf life of bread, reducing, at the same time, the use of chemical agents for food preservation.

Since millennia, humankind has exploited microbial diversity associated to give food matrices in order to obtain fermented foods and beverages, resulting in products with improved quality and extended shelf life. This topic has received deserved and continuous interest in the scientific community, for the reason of its significance as a driver of innovation in the food and beverage sector. In this review paper, using sourdough as a model matrix, we provide some insights into the field, testifying the relevance as a transdisciplinary subject. Firstly, we encompassed the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial diversity associated with the sourdough ecosystems. The importance of this micro-biodiversity in the light of flour-related chemical diversity was examined. Finally, we highlighted the increasing interest in microbial-based applications oriented toward biocontrol solution in the field of sourdough-based products (i.e., bread).

The growing health consciousness among consumers is leading to an increased presence of functional foods and beverages on the market. Red fruits are rich in bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity. In addition, red fruits contain sugars and are rich in phenolic compounds, vitamin C, dietary fibers, and manganese. Due to these characteristics, they are also suitable substrates for fermentation. Indeed, nowadays, microbial transformation of red fruits is based on alcoholic or lactic fermentation, producing alcoholic and non-alcoholic products, respectively. Although products fermented by acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have been thoroughly studied as a model of health benefits for human beings, little evidence is available on the acetic and gluconic fermentation of red fruits for obtaining functional products. Accordingly, this review aims to explore the potential of different red fruits, namely blackberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant, as raw materials for fermentation processes aimed at producing low- and no-alcohol beverages containing bioactive compounds and no added sugars. AAB are treated with a focus on their ability to produce acetic acid, gluconic acid, and bacterial cellulose, which are compounds of interest for developing fruit-based fermented beverages.

During alcoholic fermentation, ethanol accumulation significantly impacts yeast cells by disrupting membrane integrity, increasing permeability, and reducing cell viability. This study evaluated the effects of ethanol stress on the growth, membrane fluidity, and cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeast strains, specifically Torulaspora delbrueckii and Metschnikowia pulcherrima. These strains, commercialized by AEB SpA and preserved at the Unimore Microbial Culture Collection (UMCC), were tested for fermentative performance in grape must and grown under varying ethanol concentrations. Membrane fluidity was measured using Laurdan generalized polarization (GP), while Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) assessed cell surface morphology. Results indicated that at 10% ethanol, membrane fluidity increased, particularly in strains able to tolerate up to 16% ethanol, which also demonstrated superior fermentative performance. Less tolerant strains, such as T. delbrueckii UMCC 5 and M. pulcherrima UMCC 15, showed smaller increases in fluidity. At 18% ethanol, these strains exhibited severely altered surface morphology and larger surface roughness values, suggesting increased instability under high ethanol stress, while more tolerant strains displayed better-preserved surface morphology and lower roughness values, reflecting enhanced adaptability. These findings offer insights into yeast responses to ethanol stress, supporting the development of more resilient strains for improved fermentation.