Bioactive Compounds in Fermented Foods: Health Aspects

The volume reviews different types of bioactive components associated with food fermentation and their impact on human health. The diversity of microorganism responsible for the production of different types of fermented foods and beverages includes bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Biotransformation of food constituent by microorganisms occurs during fermentation processes for the production of fermented food and in the gastrointestinal tract by gut microorganisms. This biotransformation results in production of specific bioactive compounds that are responsible for a wide range of health benefits. The bioactive compounds discussed in this book includes polyphenols, bioactive peptides, fibrinolytic enzymes, gama-amino butyric acids (GABA) exopolysaccharides, probiotic, prebiotic, symbiotic and antinutritional factors. These bioactive compounds are responsible for health benefits such as antioxidant, antihypertension, antimicrobial, cholesterol lowering, anticancer, obesity and antithrombotic properties. Advanced research in the field of food fermentation and their health benefits have resulted in commercialization of some of the fermented foods as functional foods. The traditional fermented foods consumed in different parts of the world and their health benefits are discussed in detail and the book concludes with recent advances in microbial transformation during gut fermentation and their impact on human health. There has been increasing interest among researchers on the proposed title in the last decade and the book brings updated information on research and advances in different types of health benefits exhibited by bioactive compounds in a wide range of fermented foods.

Amit Kumar Rai is a scientist at DBT-IBSD, Regional Centre, Gangtok, Sikkim, India. His research areas include food fermentation, biotransformation, enzymes, production of bioactive peptides and metabolites in fermented foods. He has 64 publications, including research papers, reviews and book chapters, and filed 3 patents. For his research contribution, he has been awarded AU-CBT Excellence Award, AFSTI-Young Scientist Award, AMI-Young Scientist Awards, Award for excellence in Food Biotechnology (SAB), and NESA-Scientist of the Year.

Anu Appaiah K. A. is Senior Principal Scientist in the Department of Microbiology and Fermentation Technology at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore. He has over 24 years of research experience in food fermentation, biotransformation and production of microbial metabolites. He has guided several PhD and Master's students and has published more than 50 research papers, 12 book chapters and has 1 patent. For his research and teaching contribution, he has been awarded several national and international awards.