Chapter 10: Microbial Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals

Bacteria, yeast, and microalgae serve as catalysts in producing several food components, such as enzymes and nutraceuticals. The current trend for natural ingredients has significantly increased the demand for microbially-derived flavours, colours, and enzymes and their large-scale bioprocessing. It is, therefore, crucial that microbes are exploited as bio-factories for the continuous production of their metabolites like organic acids, enzymes, proteins, vitamins, antibiotics, and hydrocolloids. It has been shown that lactic acid bacteria, in particular Lactococcus lactis, make the best cell factories to manufacture these vital nutraceuticals. In recent years, researchers have discovered that bacteria are also a significant source of terpenes, crucial components of many medications and food additives. Furthermore, diseases including protein energy malnutrition (PEM), anaemia, diarrhoea, cancer, obesity, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and gluten-treatment-resistant celiac disease can all benefit from the use of microorganisms as adjuvant therapy.