Fenny Amilia Mahara, Lilis Nuraida, and Hanifah Nuryani Lioe. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2021;26:230-40. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2021.26.2.230

Research background. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are known to produce folate. However, this ability is highly strain-dependent. Folate synthesis in specific LAB strains is affected by the availability of folate, which can be consumed by other LAB under certain conditions. Moreover, differences in folate synthesis capabilities are related to the presence of folate biosynthesis-related genes and regulation of this pathway. Experimental approach. As basic information to better understand the regulation of folate biosynthesis among different LAB species and strains, folate biosynthetic genes were screened and identified in folate-producing and non-folate-producing LAB isolated from various local food sources in Indonesia. The extracellular folate productivity amounts of the isolates were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Results and conclusions. Eleven of the thirteen tested LAB isolates had all of the eight genes involved in folate biosynthesis (folE, folQ, folB, folK, folP, folC1, folA and folC2). Furthermore, these isolates produced extracellular folate ranging from 10.37 to 31.10 μg/mL. In contrast, two non-folate-producing isolates lacked several folate biosynthetic genes, such as folQ, folP and folA, which is possibly the reason for their inability to synthesize folate de novo. Phylogenetic tree construction revealed that the folate biosynthetic genes (excluding folK and folP) from six distinct species of folate-producing LAB isolates were monophyletic with homologous genes from other LAB species in the database. Novelty and scientific contribution. In this study, the distribution of folate biosynthetic genes in various LAB species was determined. The findings from this research support the use of folate biosynthesis marker genes in the genotypic screening for folate-producing LAB.

Fenny Amilia Mahara, Lilis Nuraida, Hanifah Nuryani Lioe, and Siti Nurjanah. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2023;28:386-400. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2023.28.4.386

Food Science of Animal Resources (Food Sci. Anim. Resour.) is an international, peer-reviewed bimonthly journal publishing original research and reviews on basic and applied aspects of the use of animal resources including the meat, egg, dairy, and edible insect/worm products. Food Sci. Anim. Resour. is published and distributed by the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.

Food security is one of the critical issues in facing the world food crisis. Utilizing food processing residue waste to make nutritious and healthy functional foods should follow a double-merit approach in facing the world food crisis. Oncom, an overlooked traditional fermented product based on local wisdom, might be an example of potential sustainable food to overcome hunger and support the circular economy programme. This review attempts to portray the existence and role of oncom based on a systematic study of hundreds of reports from different angles, mainly focusing on its processing, the microbes involved, its sensory characteristics, nutritional benefits, and promising bioactivities. Oncom can be produced by various raw materials such as tofu dreg (okara), peanut press cake, and tapioca solid waste, involving various microbes, mainly Neurospora sp. or Rhizopus sp., and various processing steps. The products show promising nutritional values. In terms of sensory characteristics, oncom is sensory-friendly due to its umami dominance. Many bioactivity capacities have been reported, including antioxidants, lowering cholesterol effect, and cardiovascular disease prevention, although some findings are still only preliminary. Undoubtedly, oncom has the potential to be developed as a future functional food with standardized quality and reliable bioefficacy. This kind of solid fermented product, based on agricultural residue wastes, is worthy of further development worldwide with full scientific support to create more reliable functional foods with a modern touch to achieve zero hunger.

This research aims to identify the effects of the administration of a black rice bran diet on colorectal cancer in dextran sodium sulfate and azoxymethane-induced BALB/c mice. The research was conducted on three groups consisting of eight Balb/c mice: two groups were fed with carcinogens, and the third group, referred to as the normal group, was supplied with Isotonic NaCl 0.9% intraperitoneally. One group fed with carcinogens was supplied a standard AIN 1993 M diet modified with black rice bran as a substitute of fibre source, while the other two mice groups were fed the standard diet (AIN-93M) containing cellulose fibre. At the 17th week, all mice were euthanized; their colonic sections were taken for histopathological evaluation, and cecum for short-chain fatty acids concentration, total lactic acid bacteria, pH and β-glucuronidase activity evaluations. The results show an increase in the total lactic acid bacteria and short-chain fatty acids in the mice group fed with rice bran. Consequently, pH value and β-glucuronidase activity had decreased. Histopathological evaluation of mucosal tissue exhibited inhibition of the tumor growth rate in the mice groups fed rice bran compared to the group supplied with the standard diet. Furthermore, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression had decreased significantly, while expression of caspase-8 and caspase-3 had increased notably, in the group fed with a rice bran diet. These results suggest that black rice bran can effectively inhibit colon carcinogenesis. The potential of black rice bran as a source of fibre has not been studied in detail regarding the inhibition mechanism of colorectal cancer cells; further investigation in this field could provide valuable information about new strategies to prevent colorectal cancer. This strand of research is very important to developing preventive methods against cancer and promoting the concept of healthy products, including functional foods.