Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014:2014:250424.
doi: 10.1155/2014/250424. Epub 2014 May 28.

Fermented fruits and vegetables of Asia: a potential source of probiotics

Manas Ranjan Swain  1 , Marimuthu Anandharaj  1 , Ramesh Chandra Ray  2 , Rizwana Parveen Rani  3
Affiliations
Review

Fermented fruits and vegetables of Asia: a potential source of probiotics

Manas Ranjan Swain et al. Biotechnol Res Int. 2014.

Abstract

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 vegetables products (Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Gundruk, Khalpi, Sinki, etc.) have a long history in human nutrition from ancient ages and are associated with the several social aspects of different communities. Among the food items, fruits and vegetables are easily perishable commodities due to their high water activity and nutritive values. These conditions are more critical in tropical and subtropical countries which favour the growth of spoilage causing microorganisms. Lactic acid fermentation increases shelf life of fruits and vegetables and also enhances several beneficial properties, including nutritive value and flavours, and reduces toxicity. Fermented fruits and vegetables can be used as a potential source of probiotics as they harbour several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. pentosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, Leuconostoc fallax, and L. mesenteroides. As a whole, the traditionally fermented fruits and vegetables not only serve as food supplements but also attribute towards health benefits. This review aims to describe some important Asian fermented fruits and vegetables and their significance as a potential source of probiotics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall fermentation process of fruits and vegetables.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Basic characteristics of selection of a probiotic strains.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Beneficial effects of probiotics.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. FAO. Fermented Fruits and Vegetables-A Global Perspective. Vol. 134. Rome, Italy: FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin; 1998.
    1. Rolle R, Satin M. Basic requirements for the transfer of fermentation technologies to developing countries. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2002;75(3):181–187. - PubMed
    1. Endrizzi I, Pirretti G, Calò DG, Gasperi F. A consumer study of fresh juices containing berry fruits. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2009;89(7):1227–1235.
    1. Demir N, Bahçeci KS, Acar J. The effects of different initial Lactobacillus plantarum concentrations on some properties of fermented carrot juice. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 2006;30(3):352–363.
    1. Di Cagno R, Coda R, De Angelis M, Gobbetti M. Exploitation of vegetables and fruits through lactic acid fermentation. Food Microbiology. 2013;33(1):1–10. - PubMed