Review ArticleFermented Fruits and Vegetables of Asia:A Potential Source of ProbioticsManas Ranjan Swain,1Marimuthu Anandharaj,1Ramesh Chandra Ray,2and Rizwana Parveen Rani31Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India2Centre for Tuber Research Institute, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa 751019, India3Gandhigram Rural Institute-Deemed University, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu 624302, IndiaCorrespondence should be addressed to Manas Ranjan Swain; manas.swain@gmail.comReceived 17 February 2014; Accepted 30 April 2014; Published 28 May 2014Academic Editor: Triantafyllos RoukasCopyright 2014 Manas Ranjan Swain et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons AttributionLicense, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properlycited.As world population increases, lactic acid fermentation is expected to become an important role in preserving fresh vegetables,fruits, and other food items for feeding humanity in developing countries. However, several fermented fruits and vegetablesproducts (Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Gundruk, Khalpi, Sinki, etc.) have a long history in human nutrition from ancient ages and areassociated with the several social aspects of diferent communities. Among the food items, fruits and vegetables are easily perishablecommodities due to their high water activity and nutritive values. Tese conditions are more critical in tropical and subtropicalcountries which favour the growth of spoilage causing microorganisms. Lactic acid fermentation increases shelf life of fruits andvegetables and also enhances several benefcial properties, including nutritive value and favours, and reduces toxicity. Fermentedfruits and vegetables can be used as a potential source of probiotics as they harbour several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillusplantarum, L. pentosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, Leuconostoc fallax, and L. mesenteroides. As a whole, the traditionallyfermented fruits and vegetables not only serve as food supplements but also attribute towards health benefts. Tis review aims todescribe some important Asian fermented fruits and vegetables and their signifcance as a potential source of probiotics.1. IntroductionFermented foods and beverages have heterogeneity of tra-ditions and cultural preferences found in the diferent geo-graphical areas, where they are produced. Fermentation hasenabled our ancestors in temperate and cooler regions to sur-vive during the winter season and those in the tropics to sur-vive drought periods. Fermentation is a slow decompositionprocess of organic substances induced by microorganisms orenzymes that essentially convert carbohydrates to alcoholsor organic acids [1]. In many instances, production methodsof diferent traditional fermented foods were unknown andpassed down to subsequent generations as family traditions.Drying and salting are common fermentation practices in theoldest methods of food preservation. Fermentation processesare believed to have beendeveloped inorder to preserve fruitsand vegetables for times of scarcity by preserving the food byorganic acid and alcohols, impart desirable favour, texture tofoods, reduce toxicity, and decrease cooking time [2].World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agri-culture Organization (FAO) recommended intake of a spe-cifc dose of vegetable and fruits in daily food to preventchronicpathologiessuchashypertension, coronaryheartproblems, and risk of strokes. Te consumers tend to preferthe foods and beverages which is fresh, highly nutritional,health promoting and ready to eat or ready to drink [3].Lactic acid (LA) fermentation of vegetables and fruits is acommon practice to maintain and improve the nutritionalandsensoryfeaturesoffoodcommodities[46]. Agreatnumberof potential lacticacidbacteria(LAB)wereiso-lated from various traditional naturally fermented foods [7].Asian traditional fermented foods are generally fermentedbyLABsuchas Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus, L.brevis, L. fermentum, L. casei, Leuconostocmesenteroides,Hindawi Publishing CorporationBiotechnology Research InternationalVolume 2014, Article ID 250424, 19 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/2504242 Biotechnology Research InternationalFruits and vegetablesSelection, cleaning, washing, and disinfectionBlanching, pealing, and shreddingSaltedMixedother ingredients)NonsaltedSoaking in brine solutionSoaking in brine solutionFermentationFermentationSun dryFill into vesselFermentationDrying or pressing Drying or pressingSun dried or pasteurizationPacking and storage(2.510% salt)530 days at 2530C(35% salt along with1-2 weeks at 1025C1-2 weeks at 210CFigure 1: Overall fermentation process of fruits and vegetables.L. kimchi, L. fallax, Weissella confusa, W. koreenis, W. cibaria,andPediococcuspentosaceus, whichareconsideredastheprobiotic source of the food practice. Availability of certainspecifcnutrients suchas vitamins, minerals, andacidicnature of fruits and vegetables provides conducible mediumfor fermentation by LAB.Probiotic is a relatively new word meaning for life andit isgenerallyusedtonamethebacteriaassociatedwithbenefcial efects for humans [8, 9]. Probiotics are defned aslive microbial feedsuchas Lactobacillus plantarum, L. casei, L.acidophilus, and Streptococcus lactis which are supplementedbyfoodthatbenefciallyafectthehostbyimprovingitsintestinal balance [10]. Several studies have shownthatsupplementation of probiotics to food provides several healthbenefts such as reduction of serum cholesterol, improvedgastrointestinal function, enhancedimmunesystem, andlower risk of colon cancer [1115]. Tis review provides anoverview on the current research prospects of LA fermenta-tion of fruits and vegetables with regard to human nutritionand health.2. Fermentation of Fruitsand Vegetables by LABShelf life of the perishable food can be improved by fermenta-tion which is considered as the oldest technology comparedto the refrigeration. Fermentation is one of the oldest pro-cessing techniques to extend the shelf life of perishable foodand was particularly important before refrigeration. LA fer-mentation of cabbage to produce sauerkraut has been widelystudied for many years [16, 17]. Basic outline of the fruit andvegetable fermentation is given in Figure 1. With the popu-larity and success of sauerkraut, fermentation of many othervegetables has emerged, such as cucumbers, beets, turnips,caulifower, celery, radishes, and carrots [18] (Table 1).Depending onthe type of rawmaterials infnal fermentedproducts, vegetablefermentationischaracterizedaccord-ingly. Sauerkraut, fermented cucumbers, and kimchi are themost studied lactic acid fermented vegetables mainly due totheir commercial importance. Canning or freezing is ofentoo expensive method in food preservation which cannotBiotechnology Research International 3Table1:Examplesoftraditionalfermentedfruitsandvegetables,whichareusedinvariouspartsofAsiansubcontinent.FermentedfoodproductCountryFruitandvegetablesOtheringredientsMicroorganismsReferencesBurongmustalaPhilippinesMustardleafRocksaltL.brevisPediococcuscerevisiae[105]CamuoiVietnamEggplantL.fermentumL.pentosusL.brevis[103,106]DakguadongTailandMustardleafSaltL.plantarum[107]DhamuoiVietnamCabbage,variousvegetablesLeuconostocmesenteroidesL.plantarum[37]DuamuoiVietnamMustardorbeetOnion,sugar,andsaltL.fermentumL.pentosusL.plantarumP.pentosaceus[103]GundrukNepal,IndiaCabbage,radish,mustard,caulifowerNoPediococcusandLactobacillusspp.[10,27,37]InziangsangIndiaMustardleafNoL.plantarumL.brevis,Pediococcusacidilactici[10,36]Jiang-guaTaiwanCucumberSaltWeissellacibariaW.hellenicaL.PlantarumLeuconostoclactisEnterococcuscasselifavus[68]KhalpiNepalCucumberNoL.plantarumP.pentosaceus[10,27]KimchiKoreaCabbage,radish,variousvegetablesGarlic,redpepper,greenonion,ginger,andsaltLeuconostocmesenteroidesL.brevisL.plantarumL.sakei[42]Nozawana-ZukeJapanTurnipL.curvatus[65]OliveSpain,ItalyOliveSaltL.plantarumL.brevisL.pentosusP.cerevisiaeL.mesenteroides[108,109]Pak-Gard-DongTailandMustardleafSaltandsugarsolutionL.brevisP.cerevisiaeL.plantarum[110]4 Biotechnology Research InternationalTable1:Continued.FermentedfoodproductCountryFruitandvegetablesOtheringredientsMicroorganismsReferencesPak-sian-dongTailandLeavesofPak-sian(Gynadropsispentaphylla)BrineL.brevisP.cerevisiaeL.plantarum[107]PaocaiChinaCabbage,celery,cucumber,andradishGinger,salt,sugar,hotredpepperL.pentosus,L.plantarumLeuconostocmesenteroidesL.brevisL.lactisL.fermentum[36,51]PobuzihiTaiwanCummingcordiaSaltLactobacilluspobuzihii,L.plantarumWcibariaW.paramesenteroidesP.pentosaceus[63,64]SauerkrautInternationalCabbageSaltL.mesenteroidesL.plantarumL.brevisL.rhamnosusL.plantarum[95,111,112]SayurasinIndonesiaMustard,cabbageSalt,LiquidfromboiledriceL.mesenteroidesL.confusesL.plantarumP.pentosaceus[54]SinkiIndia,Nepal,andBhutanRadishNoL.plantarumL.brevisL.fermentumL.fallaxP.pentosaceus[10]SoidonIndiaBambooShootWaterL.brevisL.fallaxL.lactis[39]Suan-tsaiTaiwanChinesecabbage,cabbage,MustardleavesSaltP.pentosaceusTetragenococcushalophilus[102,113,114]SunkiJapanLeavesofotaki-turnipWildappleL.plantarumL.brevisP.pentosaceusBacilluscoagulans[20]TempoyakMalaysiaDuriyan(Duriozibethinus)SaltL.brevisL.mesenteroidesLactobacillusmaliL.fermentum[53]Biotechnology Research International 5Table1:Continued.FermentedfoodproductCountryFruitandvegetablesOtheringredientsMicroorganismsReferencesYan-dong-guaTaiwanWaxgourdSalt,sugar,andfermentedsoybeansW.cibariaW.paramesenteroides[52]Yan-jiangTaiwanGingerPlums,saltL.sakeiLactococcuslactissubsp.LactisW.cibariaL.plantarum[66]Yan-taozihChinaandTaiwanPeachesSalt,sugar,andpickledplumsL.mesenteroides,W.cibaria,L.lactissubsp.lactis,W.paramesenteroides,E.faecalis,W.minorL.brevis[62]Yan-tsai-shinTaiwanBroccoliSugar,soysauce,andsesameoilW.paramesenteroidesW.cibariaW.minorLeuconostocmesenteroidesL.PlantarumE.sulfurous[67]6 Biotechnology Research Internationalbe afordable by millions of worlds economically deprivedpeople and lactic acid fermentation [19].Fermented fruits and vegetables (Table 2) have an impor-tant role in feeding the worlds population on every continenttoday [20, 21]. Tey play an important role in preservation,production of wholesome nutritious foods in a wide varietyof favours, aromas, and textures which enrich the humandiet and remove antinutritional factors to make the food safeto eat [4]. Fermentation serves many benefts, which includefoodsecurity, improvednutrition, andbettersocial well-being of the people living in marginalized and vulnerablesociety [22]. Fermentation-based industries are an importantsource of income and employment in Asia, Africa, and LatinAmerica[23]. Fermentationof fruits andvegetables canoccur spontaneously by the natural lactic bacterial surfacemicrofora, such as Lactobacillus spp., Leuconostoc spp., andPediococcus spp.; however, the use of starter culture such asL.plantarum,L.rhamnosus,L.gasseri,and L.acidophilusprovides consistency and reliability of performance [24].Fruits andvegetables areexclusivesources of water-soluble vitamins C and B-complex, provitamin A, phytos-terols, dietary fbres, minerals, and phytochemicals for thehuman diet [25]. Vegetables have low sugar content but arerich in minerals and vitamins and have neutral pH and thusprovideanatural mediumforLAfermentation[26]. LAfermentation enhances the organoleptic and nutritional qual-ity of the fermented fruits and vegetables and retains thenutrients and coloured pigments [27]. LA fermentation ofvegetable products applied as a preservation method for theproduction of fnished and half-fnished products is consid-ered as an important technology and is further investigatedbecause of the growing amount of raw materials processedin the food industry [22], and these foods are well suited topromoting the positive health image of probiotics [28]. Teconsumption of LA fermented fruits and vegetables helpstoenhancehumannutritioninseveral wayssuchastheattainment of balanced nutrition, providing vitamins, min-erals, andcarbohydrates, andpreventingseveral diseasessuch as diarrhoea and cirrhosis of liver because of probioticproperties [29]. Some of the fermented fruits and vegetablescontaincolouredpigments suchas favonoids, lycopene,anthocyanin, -carotene,and glucosinolates,which act asantioxidants in the body by scavenging harmful free radicalsimplicated in degenerative diseases like cancer, arthritis, andageing [30]. Lactic acid fermentation of vegetables has anindustrial signifcanceonlyforcucumbers, cabbages, andolives [22]. In Italy, the industrial production of fermentedvegetables is limited to sauerkrauts and table olives [31].According to Kim et al. the Chinese cabbage, cabbage,tomato, carrot, andspinachproviderelativelyhigherfer-mentability than other vegetables (okra and gourds) becausethey have more fermentable saccharides [32]. Te mostreported fermented fruits and vegetables are categorized asfollows.(i) Root vegetables: carrots, turnips, beetroot, radishes,celeriac, and sweet potato [72].(ii) Vegetable fruits:cucumbers,olives,tomatoes,pep-pers, okra, and green peas [27].(iii) Vegetables juices: carrot, turnips, tomato pulp, onion,sweet potato, beet, and horseradish [75].(iv) Fruits: apples, pears, immature mangoes, immaturepalms, lemons, and fruit pulps such as banana [22].3. Traditional Fermented Fruits andVegetables in IndiaIneasternHimalayanregions of India a wide range offermented vegetable products are prepared for bioprocessingthe perishable vegetable for storage and further consumption[33]. Lactic acid fermentation vegetables such as gundruk,sinki, and khalpi are fermented vegetable product of Nepal,Sikkim, and Bhutan. Lactobacillus brevis, L. plantarum,Pediococcus pentosaceus, P. acidilactici, and Leuconostoc fallaxare the predominant LABinvolvedinethnic fermentedvegetables. Predominant functional LAB strains associatedwith the ethnic fermented tender bamboo shoot products,mesu,soidon,soibum,and soijim of the Himalayas,wereidentifedasL. brevis, L. plantarum, L. curvatus, P. pen-tosaceus, L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, L. fallax, L.lactis, L. citreum, andEnterococcus durans [33]. Someofthe LAB strains may also possess protective and functionalproperties that render them as interesting candidates for useas starter culture(s) for controlled and optimized productionof fermented vegetable products [34].3.1. Gundruk. Gundruk is a nonsalted, fermented, and acidicvegetable product indigenous to the Himalayas. During fer-mentation of gundruk, fresh leaves of local vegetables knownas rayosag (Brassica rapa subsp. campestris var. cuneifolia),mustard leaves (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern), caulifower leaves(Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.), and cabbages (Brassicasp.) are wilted for 1-2 days. Wilted leaves are crushed mildlyand pressed into a container or earthen pot, made airtightand fermented naturally for about 1522 days. Afer desirablefermentation, products are removed and sun-dried for 24days. Gundruk is consumed as pickle or soup and has someresemblance with other fermented acidic vegetable productssuch as kimchi of Korea, sauerkraut of Germany, and sunki ofJapan [36]. Te predominant microfora of Gundruk includesvarious LAB such as L. fermentum, L. plantarum, L. casei,L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum, and Pediococcus pentosaceus[33, 35].3.2. Sinki. Sinki, an indigenous fermented radish tap rootfood, is traditionally prepared by pit fermentation, which is aunique type of biopreservation of foods by LA fermentationin the Sikkim Himalayas. For sinki production, a pit was dugwith2-3 fdiameter ina dry place. Te pit is cleaned, plasteredwith mud, and warmed by burning. Afer removing the ashes,the pit is lined with bamboo sheaths and paddy straw. Radishtap roots are wilted for 2-3 days, crushed, dipped in lukewarmwater, squeezed, and pressed tightly into the pit, covered withdry leaves and weighted down by heavy planks or stones. Tetop of the pit is plastered with mud and lef to ferment for2230 days. Afer fermentation, fresh sinki is removed, cutinto small pieces, sun-dried for 2-3 days, and stored at roomBiotechnology Research International 7Table 2: Nutritive values and scientifc names of fruits and vegetables mostly used for lactic acid fermentation.Common name Nutrient composition Botanical name Used for CountryLeafy vegetablesBroccoliCarbohydrates 6.64%,Sugars 1.7%Protein 2.82%Fat 0.37%Dietary fber 2.6%Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Yan-tsai-shin TaiwanCabbageCarbohydrates 5.8%,Sugars 3.2%Protein 1.28%Fat 0.1%Dietary fber 2.5 gBrassica oleraceaDhamuoiGundrukKimchiPaocaiSauerkrautSuan-tsaiVietnamIndiaKoreaChinaInternationalTaiwanChinese cabbageCarbohydrates 3.08%,Protein 0.75%Fat 0.01%Vitamin K and MolybdenumBrassica rapa, subsp. Pekinensis Suan-tsai TaiwanMustard leafCarbohydrates 4%Protein 5%Total fat 1%Dietary fber 9%Brassica junceaBurong mustalaDakguadongDua muoiInziangsangPak-Gard-DongSuan-tsaiPhilippinesTailandVietnamIndiaTailandTaiwanRoot and tubersBeetCarbohydrates 9.96%Sugars 7.96%Protein 1.68%Fat 0.18%Dietary fber 2.0%CarrotsCarbohydrates 9.6%,Sugars 4.7%Protein 0.93%Fat 0.24%Dietary fber 2.8%Daucus carota Kanji IndiaGingerCarbohydrates 71.62%,Sugars 3.39%Protein 8.98%Fat 4.24%Dietary fber 14.1%Zingiber ofcinale Roscoe Yan-jiang TaiwanRadishCarbohydrates 3.4%Sugars 1.86%Protein 0.68%Dietary fber 1.6%Fat 0.1%Raphanus sativusGundrukKimchiPaocaiSinkiIndiaKoreaChinaIndiaTurnipCarbohydrates 5%Protein 1.5%Fat 0.9%,Dietary fber 5%Brassica rapa subsp. RapaNozuwana-ZukeSunkiJapanJapanVegetablesBamboo ShootCarbohydrates 5.2%Sugars 3%Protein 2.6%Fat 0.3%Dietary fber 2.2%Potassium 11%Zinc 12%Bambusa tulda Soidon India8 Biotechnology Research InternationalTable 2: Continued.Common name Nutrient composition Botanical name Used for CountryCaulifowerCarbohydrates 5%Sugars 1.9%Protein 1.9%Fat 0.3%Dietary fber 2%Brassica oleracea Gundruk NepalCucumberCarbohydrate 2.7%Protein 0.67%Fat 0.13%Dietary fber 0.8%Cucumis sativusJiang-guaKhalpiPaocaiTaiwanNepal, IndiaChinaEggplantCarbohydrate 2%Protein 2%Dietary fber 12%Vitamin C 3%Solanum melongena Ca muoi VietnamGreen onionCarbohydrates 6%Protein 3%Fat 1%Dietary fber 7%Allium wakegi Kimchi KoreaWax gourdCarbohydrates 3%Protein 2%Fat 0.5%Dietary Fiber 7%Benincasa hispida Tunb. yan-dong-gua TaiwanFruitsCummingcordiaCordia dichotomaG. Forst.Pobuzihi TaiwanDurianCarbohydrates 27.09%Protein 1.47%Fat 5.33%Dietary fber 3.8%Durio zibethinus Tempoyak MalaysiaOliveCarbohydrates 3.84%Sugars 0.54%Protein 1.03%Fat 15.32%Dietary fber 3.3%Olea europaea L. Olive Spain, ItalyPak-sian Gynandropsis pentaphylla Pak-sian-dong TailandPeachesCarbohydrates 9.54%Sugars 8.39%Protein 1%Fat 0.25%Dietary fber 1.5%Vitamin C 8%Prunus persica (L.) Stokes Yan-taozihChina andTaiwantemperature for future consumption [36]. Pit fermentationhasbeenpracticedintheSouthPacifcandEthiopiaforpreservation of breadfruit,taro,banana,and cassava [37].Sinki fermentation is carried out by various LAB including L.plantarum, L. brevis, L. casei, and Leuconostoc fallax [33, 38].3.3. Khalpi. Khalpi or khalpi is a fermented cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.) product, commonly consumed by theBrahmin Nepalis in Sikkim. It is the only reported fermentedcucumber product inthe entire Himalayanregion[36].Ripened cucumber is cut into suitable pieces and sun-driedfor 2 days,and then put into a bamboo vessel and madeairtight by covering with dried leaves. It is fermented natu-rally at room temperature for 35 days. Fermentation afer5 days makes the product sour in taste. Khalpi is consumedas pickle by adding mustard oil, salt, and powdered chilies.Khalpi is prepared in the months of September and October.Microorganisms isolated from Khalpi include L. plantarum,L. brevis, and Leuconostoc fallax [10, 33].3.4. Inziangsang. In Northeast India, especially the peopleof Nagaland and Manipur consume Inziangsang, traditionalfermented leafy vegetable product prepared from mustardleaves and similar to gundruk [36]. Preparation process ofBiotechnology Research International 9inziangsang is like of gundruk. Mustard leaves, locally calledhangam (Brassica juncea L. Czern), are collected, crushed,and soaked in warm water. Leaves are squeezed to removeexcess water and pressed into the container and made airtightto maintain the anaerobic condition. Te container is kept atambient temperature (20C30C) and allowed to ferment for710 days. Like gundruk, freshly prepared inziangsang is sun-driedfor 4-5 days andstoredina closedcontainer for a year ormore at roomtemperature for future consumption. Nagalandpeople consume inziangsang as a soup time with steamedrice. In resident meal, the fermented extract of ziang dui isused as a condiment.Tis fermentation is also supportedby set of LAB which includes L. plantarum, L. brevis, andPediococcus [10, 33].3.5. Soidon. Soidonisawidespreadfermentedproduct ofManipur prepared from the tip of mature bamboo shoots.Main source of fermentation is the tips or apical meristemsof mature bamboo shoots (Bambusa tulda, Dendrocalamusgiganteus, and Melocanna bambusoides). Outer casings andlowerportionsof thebambooshootswereremovedandwhole tips are submerged in water in an earthen pot. Tesour liquid (soijim) of a previous batch is added as starterin 1 : 1 dilution, and the preparation is covered. Fermentationwas carried out for 37 days at room temperature. Leavesof Garcinia pedunculata Roxb.(family:Guttiferae), locallycalled heibungin in Manipuri language, may be added in thefermenting vessel during fermentation to enhance the favorof soidon. Afer 37 days, soidon is removed fromthe pot andstored in a closed container at room temperature for a year.L. brevis, Leuconostoc fallax, and Lactococcus lactis take partin fermentation [10, 39].3.6. Goyang. Goyang, aprominent traditional fermentedvegetable foodstuf of the Sikkimand Nepal, leafs of magane-saag (Cardamine macrophylla Willd.), belonging to the familyBrassicaceae, are collected, washed, cut into pieces, and thensqueezed to drain of excess water and are tightly pressed intobamboo baskets lined with two to three layers of leaves of fgplants. Te tops of the baskets are then covered with fg plantleaves and fermented naturally at room temperature (15C25C) for 2530 days. L. plantarum, L. brevis, Lactococcuslactis, Enterococcus faecium, andPediococcus pentosaceus,yeasts Candida spp., were LAB isolated from goyang [40].4. Traditional Fermented Fruits andVegetables in Other Asian Countries4.1. Kimchi. Kimchi is a Korean traditional fermented veg-etable made from Chinese cabbage (beachu), radish, greenonion, redpepper powder, garlic, ginger, andfermentedseafood (jeotgal), which is traditionally made at home andserved as a side dish at meals [41]. Kimchi is a generic termindicating a group of traditional LA fermented vegetablesin Korea[42]. Te major rawmaterials (orientalcabbageor radish) are salted afer prebrining, blended with variousspices (red pepper, garlic, green onion, ginger, etc.) and otherminor ingredients (seasonings, salted sea foods, fruits andvegetables, cereals, fsh, andmeats, etc.), andthenfer-mented at low temperature (25C). Kimchi fermentation istemperature-dependent process. It ripens in one week at 15Cand took three days at 25C. But lowtemperature is preferredin kimchifermentation to prevent production of strong acid,overripening, and extended period of optimum taste [43].Kimchi is characterised particularly by its sour, sweet, andcarbonated taste and difers in favour from sauerkrautandpickles that are popular fermented vegetables [44]. Te clas-sical identifcation of bacterial isolates from kimchi revealedthat Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus plantarumwere the predominant species [41]. Several results suggestedthat LABcontributingtokimchi fermentationincludeL.mesenteroides, L. citreum, L. gasicomitatum, Lactobacillusbrevis, L. curvatus, L. plantarum, L. sakei, L. lactis, P. pen-tosaceus, W. confusa, and W. koreensis [45]. Some importantspecies thought to be responsible for kimchi fermentation areLeuconostocmesenteroides, L. pseudomesenteroides, andL.lactis, as the pH gradually falls to 4.0 [41, 42].Kimchi contains various health-promoting components,including -carotene, chlorophyll, vitaminC, anddietaryfbre [43]. Inaddition, antimutagen[46], antioxidation,and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activities ofkimchi are thought to protect against disease [47].Bacte-ria isolated from kimchi produce benefcial enzymes, suchas dextransucrase and alcohol/acetaldehyde dehydrogenase[48]. Because of these benefcial properties, kimchi was nom-inated as one of the worlds healthiest foods in a 2006 issueof Health Magazine [43]. Optimumtaste of kimchiis attainedwhen the pH and acidity reach approximately 4.04.5 and0.5-0.6, respectively. Vitamin C content is maximal at thispoint.4.2. Sauerkraut. Sauerkraut means sour cabbage. Insauerkraut fermentation, freshcabbage is shreddedandmixed with 2.33.0%salt before allowing for naturalfermentation. Sauerkrautproductiontypically relies onasequential microbial process that involves heterofermentativeand homofermentative LAB, generally involving Leuconostocspp. inthe initial phase and Lactobacillus spp. and Pediococcusspp. in the subsequent phases [42]. Te pH of fnal productvaries from 3.5 to 3.8 [49]. At this pH, the cabbage or othervegetables will be preserved for a long period of time [37].Sauerkraut brine is an important byproduct of the cabbagefermentation industry and can be used as a substance forthe production of carotenoids by Rhodotorula rubra or for-glucosidase production by Candida wickerhamii forcommercial applications [50].4.3. Paocai. Te most favored customary tableware of Chi-nese is Paocai, a lactic acid fermented vegetable with saltishpalate. In certain places of China, the surplus vegetables suchas cabbage, celery, cucumber, andradishwere retainedduringsuperfuous season. Usually Paocai is served as an accompa-niment with the chief meal and occasionally used as a Nipple.Paocai is a type of pickle, varies in terms of taste and methodof preparationindiferent areas. Taiwanese paocai hascrunchy texture and tangy taste, which is made with many10 Biotechnology Research Internationalkinds of vegetables, spices, and other ingredients by anaerobicfermentation in a special container. Paocai fermentation isinitiated byvarious microorganisms presented in the rawmaterials, and LAB become the dominate bacterial fnally.Lactobacillus pentosus, L. plantarum, L. brevis, L. lactis,L. fermentum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides are the LABisolated from paocai [36, 51].4.4. Yan-Dong-Gua. In Taiwan, the extensively used custom-ary fermented nutriment is Yan-dong-gua, prepared usingwax gourd. Harvested wax gourd is washed and sliced intolittle pieces, dried in sunlight, combined with salt, sugar, andfermented soybeans, and layered in a bucket. Usually, minormass of Mijiu (Taiwanese rice wine) is mixed in the earlierstage of fermentation and the bucket was sealed. Te time offermentation process is for one month, but it may be elon-gated even more than two months. Yan-dong-gua is usuallyused as a seasoning for fsh,pork,meatballs,and variousother foods. Weissella cibaria and W. Paramesenteroides arethe bacteria responsible for fermentation [52].4.5. Tempoyak. Tempoyakis atraditional Malaysianfer-mented condiment made from the pulp of the durian fruit(Durio zibethinus). Salt is sometimes addedtoproceedfermentation at ambient temperature. Seeded durian is mixedwith small amount of salt and lef to ferment at ambient tem-perature in a tightly closed container for 47 days. Te acidityof tempoyak was reported as approximately 2.8 to 3.6%. Tesour taste of tempoyak is attributed to the acid produced bylactic acid bacteria (LAB) during fermentation. LAB were thepredominant microorganisms including Lactobacillus brevis,L. mali, L. fermentum, L. durianis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides,and an unidentifed Lactobacillus sp. [53].4.6. Sayur Asin. Sayur asin is a fermented mustard cabbageleaf food product of Indonesia. A similar product, hum choy,is produced in China and other South East Asian countries.Mustardcabbageleaves (Brassicajunceavar. rugosa) arewilted, rubbed, or squeezed with 2.5%5% salt. Liquid fromboiled rice is added to provide fermentable carbohydratestoensurethatsufcientacidisproducedduringthefer-mentation. Fermentation was characterized by a sequentialgrowth of the lactic acid bacteria, Leuconostoc mesenteroides,Lactobacillus confusus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Pediococcuspentosaceus, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Starch degradingspecies of Bacillus, Staphylococcus, andCorynebacteriumexhibited limited growth during the frst day of fermentation.Te yeasts, Candida sake and Candida guilliermondii, con-tributed to the fermentation [54].4.7. Salam Juice. Shalgam juice is prepared from the mixtureof turnips, black carrot bulgur (broken wheat) four, salt, andwater by lactic acid fermentation. Shalgam is widely used inTurkey [55]. Shalgam juices were prepared by two methodsfor commercial production,which are the traditional anddirect methods. Traditional method has two stages of fer-mentation that includes sour-dough fermentation (frst fer-mentation) and carrot fermentation (second fermentation).Te direct method has only second fermentation [56, 57].Te shalgam juice fermentation was mainly carried out byLAB that belong to the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, andPediococcus [58, 59]. Te LAB species predominantly includeLactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. paracasei, L. buchneri,and Pediococcus pentosaceus [56, 57, 60, 61].4.8. Yan-Taozih. Yan-taozih (pickled peaches) is a popularpickled fruit in China and Taiwan. Fresh peaches (Prunuspersica) are mixed with 5%10% salt and then shaken gentlyuntil water exudes from the peaches. Te peaches are thenwashed and mixed with 5%10% sugar and 1%-2% pickledplums. All of the ingredients are mixed well and then allowedto ferment at low temperature (610C) for 1 day. Chen et al.isolated Leuconostoc mesenteroides, L. lactis, Weissella cibaria,W. paramesenteroides, W. minor, Enterococcus faecalis, andLactobacillus brevis from Yan-taozih [62].4.9. Pobuzihi. Pobuzihi is a widelyusedtraditional fer-mented food prepared with cummingcordia in Taiwan. Twotypesof Pobuzihi aremainlyavailablethat canbeeasilydiferentiatedfromtheappearanceof thefnal products.Cakedorgranularpobuzihi ispreparedbyboilingcum-mingcordia (Cordia dichotoma Forst. f.) for several minutesandmixingit withsalt. Tecakedpobuzihi ispreparedby flling up the boiled cummingcordia into containers andafer cooling removedfromthe containers. Chenet al.isolated novel Lactobacillus pobuzihii, L. plantarum, Weissellacibaria, W. paramesenteroides, and Pediococcus pentosaceusfrom fermented pobuzihi [63, 64].4.10. Nozawana-Zuke. Nozawana-zukeisalow-saltpicklepreparedbyusingfeldmustard, locallycalledNozawana(Brassicacampestris var. rapa), aleafyturnipplant. It ismajorly consumed by Japanese people. Te pickle is man-ufactured by lactic acid fermentation afer adding variousinorganicsalts andredpepper powder containingspicycomponents to nozawana. Te fermentation is achieved byvarious plant-derived genera of lactic acid bacteria (LAB),includingLactobacillusandLeuconostoc. TeseLABcon-tributetogeneratingthesensorypropertiesofNozawanazuke and preventing its contamination fromdisadvantageousbacteria by producing organic acids. Te fermentation wascarried out by Lactobacillus curvatus [65].4.11. Yan-Jiang. Yan-jiangisatraditional fermentedgingerwidelyusedinTaiwan. It is preparedbytwomethods,suchaswithadditionof plumsandwithout additionofplums. Te ginger (Zingiber ofcinale Roscoe) was washed,shredded, mixed with salt (NaCl), and layered in a bucketfor26 h. Afertheexudedwaterisremoved, thegingeris mixed with sugar, and pickled plums are added only inmethod P. Salt and sugar are added to a fnal concentration ofapproximately 3060 g kg1. Fermentation usually continuesfor 35 days at lowtemperature (610C), but some producersmaintainafermentationtimeof 1 weekor evenlonger.Initial fermentationwas carried out by Lactobacillus sakei andLactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis and this species are replacedby Weissella cibaria and L. plantarum at the fnal stages offermentation [66].Biotechnology Research International 114.12. Yan-Tsai-Shin. Yan-tsai-shinisafermentedBroccoli(Brassica oleracea) stem, which is belonging to cabbage fam-ily. It is widely used in Taiwan. Harvested broccoli is washed,peeled, cut, mixed with salt (NaCl), and flled in a bucket forapproximately 6 h. Afer the exuded water is removed, fer-mented broccoli is mixed with various ingredients, includingsugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Some producers also addrice wine or sliced hot pepper to obtain a unique favour.Te ingredients were mixed well and then fermented at lowtemperature (610C) for 1 day. Te most common bacterialspecies include Weissella paramesenteroides, W. cibaria, W.minor, Leuconostoc Mesenteroides, Lactobacillus Plantarum,and Enterococcus sulphurous [67].4.13. Jiang-Gua. Jiang-guais a popular traditional fermentedcucumber in Taiwan that can be served as a side dish ora seasoning. Harvested cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) arewashed,cut,mixed with salt (NaCl),layered in a bucket,and then sealed with heavy stones on the cover. Tis processusually continues for 4-5 h,but some producers maintaina longer processing time. Afer the exuded water has beendrained of, the cucumbers are mixed with sugar and vinegar.In addition, soy sauce is added optionally depending on therecipe. Fermentation usually continues for at least 1 day at lowtemperature (610C). Fermentation depends upon Weissellacibaria, W. hellenica, L. Plantarum, Leuconostoc lactis, andEnterococcus casselifavus [68].5. Other Fermented Vegetables and FruitsPickles from various vegetables and fruits such as mango(Mangifera indica L.) and amla (Emblica ofcinalis L.) aredietary supplements andusedfor culinary purposes inseveral parts of the world. Pickling of cucumber is made inAfrica, Asia, Europe, and Latin America [69]. Khalpi is acucumber pickle popular during summer months in Nepal[27]. Although, a variety of methods are used, placing thecucumbers in 5% salt brine is a satisfactory method.Tecucumbersabsorbsaltuntil thereisequilibriumbetweenthe salt in the cucumbers and the brine (about 3% salt inthe brine) [70]. When the pH attains at about 4.75.7, thebrine is inoculated with either L. plantarum or Pediococcuspentosaceus or a combination of these organisms for a totalcell count of 14 billion cells/gallon of brined cucumbers. Tefnal product has an acidity of 0.61.0% (as LA) and a pH of3.43.6 in about two weeks, depending upon the temperature[71].Similarly,sweet potato lacto-pickles may serve as anadditional source of pickle with usual benefcial probioticproperties [72].Diferent varieties of onions (Allium cepa) such as sweet,whiteandyellowstoragewereusedforLAfermentation.White and yellow storage onions are typically used for pro-cessing due to their high solid content, so they were chosenfor fermentation. Sweet onions are a spring/summer varietywith low solids and mild favour and are ofen consumedfresh.Sweet cherry (Prunus aviumL.) is one of the most popularof temperate fruits. Italy, together with United States, Iran,and Turkey,is one of the main world producers of sweetcherries [73].Tefermentationof beetroot andcarrot juices, withaddition of brewers yeast autolysate, was also carried out byvarious workers like Rankin et al. A mixture of beetroot andcarrot juices with brewers yeast autolysate (fermented bioproduct) has optimum proportions of pigments, vitamins,and minerals. Tis balanced material represents a valuableproduct as far as nutrition and health are concerned [74].Redbeetswereevaluatedasapotential substratefortheproductionof probiotic beet juice by four species of lactic acidbacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. delbrueckii, andL. plantarum).Spontaneous caulifower fermentation is commonlyencountered in many countries with local variationsdependingmainlyupontraditionandavailabilityof rawmaterials. L. plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides wereisolated from the caulifower fermentation [19].Te consumptionof LAfermentedvegetable juices (lacto-juice) has increasedinmanycountries. Lacto-juices areproduced mainly from cabbage, red beet, carrot, celery, andtomato [4]. Tey can be produced by either of the followingprocedures:(i) usual way of vegetable fermentation and then pro-cessed by pressing the juice (manufacture fromsauerkraut);(ii) fermentation of vegetable mash or juice.Tere are three types of lactic fermentation of vegetablejuices:(i) spontaneous fermentation by natural microfora;(ii) fermentation by starter cultures that are added intoraw materials;(iii) fermentation of heat-treated materials by starter cul-tures.During the manufacture of lacto-juices, the pressed juicecanbe pasteurized at frst and consecutively it is inoculated bya culture of selected LAB at a concentration varying from 2 105 to 5 106 CFU/mL [4, 75]. For fermentation of juices ofhighest quality, it is imperative to use commercially suppliedstarter cultures such as L. plantarum, L. bavaricus, L. xylosus,L.bifdus,and L.brevis.Te criteria used for fnding outsuitability of a strain are as follows [76]:(i) the rate and total productionof LA, change inpH, lossof nutritionally important substances;(ii) decrease in nitrate concentration and production ofbiogenic amines (BAs);(iii) ability of substrate to accept a starter culture;(iv) type of metabolism and ability of culture to createdesirable sensory properties of fermented products.12 Biotechnology Research International6. Probiotic Microorganisms6.1. Lactic Acid Bacteria. Te genus Lactobacillus is a hetero-geneous group of LAB with important application in foodandfeedfermentation. Lactobacilli areusedasprobioticsinoculants and as starters in fermented food [77]. Te genusLactobacillus is Gram-positive organisms whichproducelactic acid by fermentation which belongs to the large groupof LAB. Other generasuchas Lactococcus, Enterococcus,Oenococcus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, andLac-tobacillus are also considered in LAB group due to lactic acidproduction ability [78].Te genus Lactobacillus is a heterogeneous group of LABwith important implications in food and feed fermentation.Lactobacilli are currently used as probiotics,silage inocu-lants, andasstartersinfermentedfood[77]. TegenusLactobacillus belongs to the large group of LAB, which areall Gram-positive organisms which produce lactic acid byfermentation. Genera of LAB include, among others, Lacto-coccus, Enterococcus, Oenococcus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus,Leuconostoc, andLactobacillus [78]. Lactobacillus is rodshaped, ofen organized in chain belonging to a large groupwithin a family Lactobacillaceae. Tey growwell in anaerobiccondition and strictly fermentative in nature. Lactobacillus isgenerally divided into two groups depending on the abilityof the sugar fermentation: homofermentative species, con-verting sugars mostly into lactic acid and heterofermentativespecies,converting sugars into lactic acid, acetic acid andCO2. LAB can infuence the favour of fermented foods in avariety of ways. During fermentation, lactic acid is produceddue to the metabolism of sugars. As a result, the sweetnesstastes will likely decrease as sourness increases [76].Lactobacilli prefer relatively acidic conditions rangesfrom pH 5.5 to 6.5 due to the main catabolite as lactic acid.It can be found in a wide ranges of ecological niches suchas plant, animal, raw milks, and in insects [79]. Due to thewide verity in habitat Lactobacillus possess a wide range ofmetabolites versatility in the LAB group. It has been usedfor food preservation, starter for dairy products, fermentedvegetables, fsh, and sausages as well as silage inoculants fordecades. Lactobacillusisproposedaspotential probioticsdue to its potential therapeutic and prophylactic attributes.L. paracasei, L. rhamnosus, andL. casei belong to thegroup of lactobacillus which are commonly found in foodand feed as well as common inhabitants of the animal/humangastrointestinal tract (GIT) [80]. L. plantarumisconsid-ered a food-grade microorganism because of its long anddocumented history of safe use in fermented foods [81]. L.fermentum, one of the best-known species of this group, hasbeen isolated from vegetable and dairy fermentation [77, 80,82].TeWeissellaspeciesareGram-positive, catalaseneg-ative, non-spore-forming, heterofermentative, nonmotile,irregular, or coccoid rod-shaped organisms [83]. Membersof thegenusWeissellahavebeenisolatedfromavarietyof sources, suchasfreshvegetablesandfermentedsilage[8486]. Te genus Weissella encompasses a phylogeneticallycoherent group of lactic acid bacteria and includes eight Leu-conostoc-like species, including Weissella confuse (formerlyLactobacillus confuses), W. minor (formerly Lactobacillusminor), W. kandleri (formerlyLactobacillus kandleri), W.halotolerans(formerlyLactobacillushalotolerans), W. viri-descens (formerly Lactobacillus viridescens), W. paramesen-teroides(formerlyLeuconostocparamesenteroides), andW.hellenica [83].6.2. Defnition and Mechanismof Action of Probiotics.According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Probiotics are defnedas livingmicroorganisms which,when administrated in adequate amounts, confer health ben-eft on the host. Many studies supported that maintenanceof health gut microfora provides protection against gastroin-testinal disorder includinggastrointestinal infections andinfammatory bowel diseases. On the other hand, probioticscan be used as an alternative to the use of antibiotics in thetreatment of enteric infection or to reduce the symptomsof antibioticassociateddiarrhea[87]. Probioticbacterialcultures support the growth of intestinal microbiota, by sup-pressing potentially harmful bacteria and reinforce the bodysnatural defence mechanisms. Currently, muchevidence existson the positive efects of probiotics on human health [77, 8891].6.3. Selection and Application of Probiotics. Lactobacilli arethemost extensivelystudiedandwidelyusedprobioticswithintheLAB. Most LactobacillusstrainsbelongtotheL. acidophilus group. L. paracasei, L. plantarum, L. reuteri,and L. salivarius, which represent the respective phylogeneticgroups, are known to contain probiotic strains. In order fora probiotic to be of beneft to human health, it must fulflseveral criteria (Figure 2). It must survive passage throughthe upper GIT and reach its site of action alive, and it mustbe able to function in the gut environment. Te functionalrequirements of probiotics include tolerance to humangastricjuice and bile, adherence to epithelial surfaces, persistence inthe human GIT, immune stimulation, antagonistic activitytowardintestinal pathogens (suchas Helicobacter pylori,Salmonellaspp., Listeriamonocytogenes, andClostridiumdifcile), andthecapacitytostabilizeandmodulatetheintestinal microbiota [8892].7. Raw Materials PretreatmentsPretreatments can promote growth of lactic fora that can beused depending on the fruit or vegetable to be fermented.Washing fruits and vegetables prior to fermentation reducesthe initial microbial count, thus favouring the developmentof lactic fora [93]. Vegetables are alsomaceratedwithpectinolytic enzymes [75] to allow for their homogenizationprior to lactic fermentation, mainly for the production ofcocktails and juices [4]. Many vegetables contain glycosidesthat hamper efcient fermentation [94]. For LAfermentationof tomatoes, choosing very ripe fruit is recommended, sincethe high solanin content of unripe fruit might inhibit thegrowth of LAB.Biotechnology Research International 13Characteristicsof potential probioticsAcid and bile stabilityHuman originProduction of antimicrobial substancesAdherence to human intestinal cellsPersistence in the human intestinal tractClinically validated and documentedhealth efectAntagonism against enteric pathogensSusceptible to antibioticsSafety in food and clinical useFigure 2: Basic characteristics of selection of a probiotic strains.8. Role of Ingredients Used in Fermentationsof Fruits and Vegetables8.1. Addition of Salt. LAfermentation of fruits and vegetablesis mostly carried out in a salted medium [95]. Salting is doneby adding commondry salt (NaCl) withhighwater content orby soaking in brine solution. Te optimumsalt concentrationdepends on the type of vegetables or fruits [96]. SubstitutingNaCl by KCl up to 50% in the preparation of kimchi fromcabbage did not afect the sensory qualities (saltiness, bitter-ness, sourness, hotness, and texture). Te main role of saltis to promote the growth of LAB over spoilage bacteria andto inhibit potential pectinolytic and proteolytic enzymes thatcan cause vegetable sofening and further putrefaction. Saltinduces plasmolysis in the plant cells and the appearance of aliquid phase, which creates anaerobic conditions around thesubmerged product. Anaerobic conditions are more efectivein the fnely cut and shredded cut material.8.2. Ingredients Favouring Bacterial Growth. Some ingredi-ents when added to LA fermented vegetables or fruits seemto enhance the development of lactic fora. Tey have threemajor roles:(i) they are a source of nutrients such as sugars, vitamins,and minerals which initiate fermentation;(ii) they add desirable aroma, favour, and taste to thefermented product;(iii) they helpincombating the spoilage bacteria bylowering the pH.For some vegetables with low nutrient contents, such asturnip and cucumber, the addition of sugar promotes bacte-rial growth, thereby accelerating fermentation. In Spanish-style olive fermentation, olives have undergone alkalinetreatment to eliminate their bitterness, followed by repeatedwashings. Tey are then replaced with glucose on sucrose toimprove LA fermentation [71]. Whey is ofen recommendedfor use in traditional LA vegetable fermentation processesas it has high lactose content, which is a potential energysubstrate for LAB. It also supplies minerals salts and vitaminsnecessary for the lactic fora metabolism.8.3. Ingredients with Antiseptic Properties. Spices or aromaticherbs are added to most of the lactic fruits and vegetablefermentationtoimprovethefavourof theendproducts[21]. Certain spices, mainly garlic, cloves, juniper berries, andred chillies help to inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria[22]. Tere are many sulphur compounds with antibacterialpropertiesingarlicwhichmust becombinedwithothervegetables at ratios not higher than 150 g/kg of vegetables.Chemical preservatives such ascorbic on benzoic acid saltsare sometimes used in industrial production of LAfermentedsauerkraut, olives, or cucumbers [69]. Te role of essentialspice oils such as thyme, sage, lemon, and dill is to inhibitthe growth during fermentations of olives [70]. Mustard seedcontains allyl isothiocyanate, a volatile aromatic compoundwith antibacterial and antifungal properties, which inhibitsthe growth of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and promotesgrowth of LAB [69, 70].8.4. Ingredients Modifying the pH and Bufers Efect of Brines.To promote the growth of LAB over yeasts, moulds and otherpathogenicorunwantedbacterial strains, acids, orbufersystems (acid +acid salts) are ofen added to the fermentationmedium. During the fermentation of fruits and vegetableswithhighfermentable sugar contents, the fermentationmedium has to be bufered to slow down acidifcation, thusallowing the LAB to consume all the sugars. An acetic acid +calcium acetate bufer system has been reported to improvethe LA cucumber fermentation process.14 Biotechnology Research International9. Beneficial Effect ofFermented Fruits and Vegetables9.1. Enhancing Food Quality and Safety. Nutritional quality offood can be enhanced by fermentation, which may improvethedigestibilityandbenefcial components of fermentedfood. Te raw materials have increased the level of vitaminand mineral content compared to its initial content. Severalantimicrobial compounds such as organic acids, hydrogenperoxide, diacetyls, andbacteriocinsareproducedduringthe fermentation process, which impacts unrequited bacterialgrowth and on the other hand increases the shelf life of thefood.Lactic acidcontent of fermentedfoodproduct mayenhance the utilization of calcium, phosphorus, and iron andalso increase adsorption of iron and vitamin D. Fermentedfoods have a variety of enzymes and each enzyme can play adiferent role in increasing food quality. Lactase in fermentedfood product degrades the lactose into galactose. Galactoseis an important constituent of cerebroside that can promotebrain development in infants. Similarly proteinases producedbyLABcanbreakdownthecaseinintosmall digestiblemolecules. Fermented foods are rich in globular fats whichcan be easily digested.9.2. Removal of Antinutrient Compounds. Most of the fruitsand vegetables contain toxins and antinutritional com-pounds. Tese can be removed or detoxifed by the actionof microorganisms during fermentation process. Plant foodscontainaseriesofcompounds, collectivelyreferredtoasantinutrients, which generally interfere with the assimilationof some nutrients andinsome cases may evenconfertoxic or undesirable physiological efects. Such antinutrientsinclude oxalate, protease, and -amylase inhibitors, lectins,condensed tannins, and phytic acid. Numerous processingand cooking methods have been shown to possibly reduce theamount of these antinutrients and hence their adverse efects.It has been concluded that the way food is prepared andcooked is equally important as the identity of the food itself.Research is currently focused on identifying the antinutrientefect of several constituents rather than studying their fateduring lactic acid fermentation.9.3. Improving the Health Benefts of Humans. Severalresearchers havedescribedthebenefcial efects of LAB.Tis canmodifytheintestinal microbiotapositivelyandpreventthecolonizationofotherentericpathogens. LABstrainsalsoimprovethedigestivefunctions, enhancetheimmune system, reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, controlthe serum cholesterol levels, and eliminate the unrequiredantinutritionalcompoundspresentinfoodmaterials. Teoverall health benefts of LAB are elucidated in Figure 3.9.4. Biopreservation. Nowadays, consumers are particularlyaware of the health concerns regarding food additives; thehealth benefts of natural and traditional foods, processedwith no added chemical preservatives, are becoming moreand more attractive. Chemical additives have generally beenused to combat-specifc microorganisms. In the case of fer-mented foods, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been essentialfor these millennia. LAB play a defning role in the preserva-tion and microbial safety of fermented foods, thus promotingthe microbial stability of the fnal products of fermentation.Protection of foods is due to the production of organic acids,carbondioxide, ethanol, hydrogenperoxide, anddiacetylantifungal compounds suchas fatty acids or phenyllactic acid,bacteriocins, and antibiotics such as reutericyclin [97].Tetermbacteriocinwas coinedin1953todefnecolicin produced by Escherichia coli. Like LAB, also bacte-riocins have been consumed for millennia by mankind asproducts of LAB and, for this reason, they may be consideredasnatural foodingredients. AsreportedbyCotteret al.bacteriocins can be used to confer a rudimentary form ofinnate immunity to foodstufs. Bacteriocins are ribosomallysynthesised, extracellularly released lowmolecular-mass pep-tides or proteins (usually 3060 amino acids), which have abactericidal or bacteriostatic efect on other bacteria, eitherinthesamespecies(narrowspectrum) oracrossgenera(broad spectrum) [9799]. Bacteriocin production has beenfound in numerous species of bacteria, among which, due totheir generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, LAB haveattracted great interest in terms of food safety. In fact, LABbacteriocins enjoy a food grade and this ofers food scientiststhe possibilityof allowingthe development of desirablefora in fermented foods or preventing the development ofspecifc unwanted (spoilage and pathogenic) bacteria in bothfermented and nonfermented foods by using a broad- andnarrow-host-range bacteriocins, respectively.Regarding the application of bacteriocin-producingstarter strains infoodfermentation, the major problemis related to the in situ antimicrobial efcacy that can benegatively infuenced by various factors, such as the bindingof bacteriocins to food components (fat or protein particles)andfoodadditives(e.g., triglycerideoils), inactivationbyproteases or other inhibitors, changes insolubility andcharge, and changes in the cell envelope of the target bacteria[97, 100]. Te most recent food application of bacteriocinsencompasses their binding to polymeric packaging, atechnology referred to as active packaging. Bacteriocins havegenerally a cationic character and easily interact with Gram-positive bacteria that have a high content of anionic lipidsin the membrane determining the formation of pores [97].10. Modern Techniques Used forAnalyzing Microflora of FermentedFruits and VegetablesIn addition to traditional methods (microscopy, plate count,etc.), several modern techniques like RAPD- (RandomAmplifedPolymorphic DNA-) PCR(Polymerase ChainReaction), species-specifc PCR, multiplex PCR, 16s rDNAsequencing, gradient gel electrophoresis, RFLPs (RestrictionFragment LengthPolymorphism), andclusteranalysisofTTGE(Temporal Temperature Gradient Electrophoresis)areemployedtoisolateandcharacterizediferenttypeofLAB strains of fermented fruits and vegetables [101]. RFLPsBiotechnology Research International 15ProbioticsIntestinal microbial compositionSupport digestive processPrevention of irritable bowel syndromePrevention of endogenous pathogenEg. antibiotic associated diarrheaPrevention of exogenous pathogenEg. travellersdiarrheaImmunomodulationStimulate the innate immunityImprove resistance to allergiesPrevent respiratory diseasesMetabolic efectsTerapeutic efectsPrevention of urogenital infectionSynthesis of vitamins Prevention of rotaviral diarrheaPrevent skin problemsLactose hydrolaseImprove lactose digestionBile salt deconjugation(bile salt hydrolase)Cholesterol reductionLower the toxigenic/ mutagenic reaction in gutAnticarcinogenicactivityEnhance calcium metabolismPrevent osteoporosis(B2, B6, B12)Figure 3: Benefcial efects of probiotics.and16srDNAwereemployedtoisolateandcharacterizelactic acidbacteriafromdochi (fermentedblackbeans)and suan-tsai (fermented mustard), a traditional fermentedfood in Taiwan [102]. Te isolated strains are L. plantarum,Salmonella enterica, E. coli, P. pentosaceus, Tetragenococcushalophilus, Bacilluslicheniformis, andsoon. Tamang[10]isolated 269 strains of LAB from gundruk, sinki, inziangsang(a fermented leafy vegetable), and Khalpi samples and studiedthe phenotypic characteristics of these strains by genotypingusingRAPD-PCR, repetitive element PCR, andspecies-specifc PCR techniques. Te major representatives of LABinvolved in these fermentations were L. plantarum, L. brevis,P. acidilactici, andL. fallax. RAPD-PCRandgradientgelelectrophoresiswereusedtoisolateL. plantarumstrainsfrom ben saalga, a traditional fermented gruel from BurkinaFaso. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and DGGE analysiswere also used to analyze the fermented vegetable samples[103]. Characterization of LABisolates by using MALDI-TOFMS fngerprinting revealed genetic variability within highlyheterogeneous species. Previous researchinvestigatedthegenetic diversity of LAB isolates associated with the produc-tion of fermented Almagro eggplants using a combination ofrandomly amplifed polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and pulsed-feld gel electrophoresis (PFGE) [104].11. Research Prospectsand Future ApplicationsEven though it has been broadly verifed that dairy fermentedproducts are the best matrices for delivering probiotics, thereis growing evidence of the possibility of obtaining probioticfoods fromnondairy matrices. Several rawmaterials (such ascereals, fruits, and vegetables) have recently been investigatedto determine their suitability for designing new,nondairyprobiotic foods [115].Generally existing probiotics belongto the genus Lactobacillus.However,few strains are com-mercially obtainable for probiotic function (Table 1). Genetechnology and relative genomics will play a role in rapidsearching and developing new strains, with gene sequencingallowing for an increased thoughtful of mechanisms and thefunctionality of probiotics [77, 116].12. ConclusionInAsiancontinent, fermentedfruits andvegetables areassociated with several social and cultural aspects of diferentraces. Studies showed that fruits and vegetables may serve asa suitable carrier for probiotics. Fermented fruits and vegeta-bles contain a diverse group of prebiotic compounds which16 Biotechnology Research Internationalattract and stimulate the growth of probiotics. Basic under-standingabout the relationshipbetweenfood, benefcialmicroorganism, and health of the human being is importantto improve the quality of food and also prevention of severaldiseases. Te amount of food ingredients and additives infermented foods, such as sugar, salt, and monosodium gluta-mate, should conform to the accepted standards establishedby the regulations of target markets. Mixed fermentation withhighvariability should be replaced by pure cultivation toachieve large-scale production. Although challenges remain,it is possible that fermented foods, handed down for manygenerations, will play a major role in the global food industry.Detailed studies on the microbial composition and character-istics of fermented fruits and vegetables lead to the furtherapplication.Conflict of InterestsTeauthorsdeclarethat thereisnoconfict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper.References[1]FAO, Fermented Fruits and Vegetables-A Global Perspective, vol.134, FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin, Rome, Italy, 1998.[2]R. Rolle andM. 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