Publications

enriched with beneficial microorganisms and bioac�ve compounds, designed to enhance their func�onal proper�es. This objec�ve is a core focus of FOODBIOMES, a Greek Research Infrastructure commited to microbiome applica�ons to transform food systems and drive progress in sustainability and human health.Hence, this special issue focused on exploring the transforma�ve role of microbiome innova�ons in fostering health-promo�ng and sustainable food systems, bringing together cu�ng-edge research on the design and applica�on of microbiome-based solu�ons, including their role in enhancing food func�onality, addressing environmental challenges, and comba�ng health issues, such as gut dysbiosis, aging, an�bio�c resistance, atopic derma��s, and endometri�s. Chen et al. selected two strains of lac�c acid bacteria for fermen�ng bamboo shoots.Lactiplantibacillus plantarum R1 exhibited prominent poten�al probio�c proper�es (including gastrointes�nal condi�on tolerance, adhesion ability, an�microbial ability, and an�bio�c resistance), while the strain Levilactobacillus brevis R2 was able to produce a high content of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The synergis�c inocula�on of both strains during bamboo shoot fermenta�on led to a remarkable increase in GABA content, surpassing that of naturally fermented bamboo shoots by more than 4.5 �mes and outperforming mono-inoculated fermenta�on. Simultaneously, the nitrite content was maintained within the recommended levels (5.96 ± 1.81 mg/kg). Besides, inoculated fermented bamboo shoots exhibited an increased crude fiber content and reduced fat content. Thus, safe and rapid fermenta�on of bamboo shoots may lay the groundwork for the development of func�onal vegetable products enriched with GABA.Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been a serious risk factor for several gastric and systemic diseases. Recently, available preclinical evidence suggests that the probio�c bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarums (LP) may influence the aging process via modula�on of the gut microbiota. The review authored by Gupta et al. summarized compelling evidence of LP's poten�al effect on aging hallmarks, such as oxida�ve stress, inflamma�on, DNA methyla�on, and mitochondrial dysfunc�on. In brief, LP cell cons�tuents exerted considerable an�oxidant poten�al, which may reduce ROS levels directly, restored gut microbiota, facilitated a healthy intes�nal milieu and accelerated mul�-channel communica�on via signaling factors, such as SCFA and GABA. Signaling factors further ac�vated the transcrip�on factor Nrf2 and reduced oxida�ve damage. The authors concluded that LP supplementa�on may be an effec�ve approach to managing aging and associated health risks.In an era increasingly defined by the challenge of an�bio�c resistance, the study of Huang et al. offered groundbreaking insights into the an�bacterial proper�es of two dis�nct Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains (TE0907 and TE1809), hailing from the unique ecosystem of Bufo gargarizans, as it uniquely focused on elucida�ng the intricate components and mechanisms that empower these strains with their notable an�bacterial capabili�es. The research employed a mul�-omics approach, including agar diffusion tests to assess an�bacterial efficacy and adhesion assays with HT-29 cells to understand the preliminary mechanisms. Addi�onally, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the produc�on of organic acids and whole-genome sequencing to iden�fy genes linked to the biosynthesis of an�bio�cs and bacteriocin-coding domains. The compara�ve analysis highlighted the excep�onal an�bacterial efficacy of both strains. A pivotal discovery was the synthesis of ace�c acid in both strains, linking its abundance to their an�microbial efficiency.Genomic explora�on uncovered a diverse range of elements involved in the biosynthesis of an�bio�cs, similar to tetracycline and vancomycin, and poten�al regions encoding bacteriocins, including Enterolysin and Plantaricin. The findings underscored the strains' extensive biochemical and enzyma�c armamentarium, offering valuable insights into their role in antagonizing enteric pathogens for poten�al clinical deployment in safeguarding animal gut health, thereby enriching our understanding of the role of probio�c bacteria in the realm of an�microbial interven�ons.Τradi�onal fermented foods have long been recognized for their numerous health benefits along with their poten�al to aid in the treatment of GI disorders. In this vein, the highthroughput sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq pla�orm was employed to inves�gate the microbiome communi�es of rice-based fermented beverages consumed by ethnic tribes in Southern Assam, namely Zeme Naga, Dimasa Kachari, Hmar, Karbi and Tea tribes (Yumnam et

In the present report and for the first time in the international literature, the impact of the addition of NaCl upon growth and lipid production on the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides was studied. Moreover, equally for first time, lipid production by R. toruloides was performed under nonaseptic conditions. Therefore, the potentiality of R. toruloides DSM 4444 to produce lipid in media containing several initial concentrations of NaCl with glucose employed as carbon source was studied. Preliminary batch-flask trials with increasing amounts of NaCl revealed the tolerance of the strain against NaCl content up to 6.0% w/v. However, 4.0% w/v of NaCl stimulated lipid accumulation for this strain, by enhancing lipid production up to 71.3% w/w per dry cell weight. The same amount of NaCl was employed in pasteurized batch-flask cultures in order to investigate the role of the salt as bacterial inhibiting agent. The combination of NaCl and high glucose concentrations was found to satisfactorily suppress bacterial contamination of R. toruloides cultures under these conditions. Batch-bioreactor trials of the yeast in the same media with high glucose content (up to 150 g/L) resulted in satisfactory substrate assimilation, with almost linear kinetic profile for lipid production, regardless of the initial glucose concentration imposed. Finally, fed-batch bioreactor cultures led to the production of 37.2 g/L of biomass, accompanied by 64.5% w/w of lipid yield. Lipid yield per unit of glucose consumed received the very satisfactory value of 0.21 g/g, a value among the highest ones in the literature. The yeast lipid produced contained mainly oleic acid and to lesser extent palmitic and stearic acids, thus constituting a perfect starting material for "second generation" biodiesel.

Given that olive oil produced in the Ionian islands has not been extensively studied, forty-seven olive oil samples of the Koroneiki olive cultivar were collected from Zakynthos, Kerkyra, Kefalonia, and Leukada, which comprise well-known islands of the Ionian Sea. The samples were subjected to analysis of volatile compounds using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Based on HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis, twenty-five volatile compounds were tentatively identified and semi-quantified using the internal standard method. Volatile compounds included alcohols, aldehydes, benzene derivatives, esters, hydrocarbons, ketones, and terpenoids. The application of descriptive data analysis, such as multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and factor analysis (FA), to the semi-quantitative data (μg/L) of the identified volatile compounds resulted in the extraction of key volatile compounds that differentiated olive oil samples of the Koroneiki olive cultivar according to geographical origin. The cross-validation method of LDA showed a prediction rate of 83.0%, whereas the variance explained by FA was approximately 69.06% (69.055%). The key volatile compounds that were associated most with the geographical origin of olive oil samples were (Z)-1,3-pentadiene, dodecane, 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethyl-heptane, 3-ethyl-1,5-octadiene, 2,4-dimethyl-heptane, 4-methyloctane, ethanol, 2-hexanol, and 3-methylbutanal, among others. The study contributes to the regional features of olive oil of the Koroneiki olive cultivar from the Ionian islands based on key volatile compounds and further supports the consecutive research of the international community regarding olive oil authentication.

Microbial oil production has received significant attention as a potential precursor for the production of biofuels, oleochemicals and food products. In this study, six oleaginous yeasts, isolated from fruits, were selected based on their ability to accumulate high intracellular content of microbial oil (20–48% w/w of total dry weight). The highest content of saturated fatty acids was 68.7% (w/w), whereas the highest content of oleic acid was 62.7% (w/w). Furthermore, nutrient‐rich hydrolysates produced via enzymatic hydrolysis of flour‐rich waste streams generated by a confectionery industry were evaluated as fermentation media for microbial oil production via fed‐batch bioreactor cultures using one of the most promising isolates, namely VV_D4. A total dry weight of 40 g/L with a microbial oil content of 39% (w/w) was produced by isolate VV_D4. Critical biodiesel properties were estimated based on the fatty acid composition and correlated with the international standards. The microbial oil produced by the new isolates could be potentially used for biodiesel production.