Germination and probiotic fermentation: a way to enhance nutritional and biochemical properties of cereals and millets

Abstract

Probiotics have become increasingly popular as consumers demand balanced nutrition and health benefits from their diet. However, lactose intolerance and allergies to milk proteins may make dairy-based probiotics unsuitable for some individuals. Thus, probiotics derived from cereals and millets have shown promise as an alternative to dairy probiotics. Soaking, germination, and fermentation can reduce the anti-nutritional factors present in cereal grains and improve nutrient quality and bioactive compounds. Biochemical properties of probiotics are positively influenced by fermentation and germination. Thus, the current review provides an overview of the effect of fermentation and germination on the biochemical properties of probiotics. Further, probiotics made from non-dairy sources may prevent intestinal infections, improve lactose metabolism, reduce cholesterol, enhance immunity, improve calcium absorption, protein digestion, and synthesize vitamins. Finally, health-conscious consumers seeking non-dairy probiotic options can now choose from a wider variety of low-cost, phytochemically rich probiotics derived from germinated and fermented cereal grains.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Fermentation; Germination; Lactobacillus; Probiotics.

Fig. 1

Summary of mechanism of probiotics activity (A) Enhancement of the epithelial barrier. (B) Competitive exclusion of pathogenic microorganisms. (C) Inhibition of pathogen adhesion. (D) Production of anti-microorganism substances. (E) Modulation of the immune system. Adapted from Bermudez-Brito et al. (2012)

Fig. 2

Effect of probiotic fermentation on germinated grains properties