Traditional Mediterranean Cheeses: Lactic Acid Bacteria populations and functional traits

Abstract

This chapter contains an overview of LA fermentation with a description of traditional, ethnic, and ancient fermented cereal foods and beverages. Here, we consider the unique beneficial qualities of fermented cereals (wheat, rice, maize, rye, sorghum, millet, barley, oat) based on their nutritional value and the probiotic properties conferred by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during food processing. The main LAB genera capable of converting starchy carbohydrates, their taxonomy, and the genetics and biochemistry of starch hydrolysis are described. The functional characteristics of the products obtained during LA fermentation, the nondigestible oligosaccharides with prebiotic potential, the peculiar group of amylolytic LAB, and the approaches for cereal food fortification by adding probiotics and elimination of the antimetabolites are discussed below.