Understanding the potential of fruits, flowers, and ethnic beverages as valuable sources of techno-functional and probiotics strains: current scenario and main challenges

Abstract

Background Fruit, vegetables, flowers, and ethnic beverages may be a source of microbial species with techno-functional and health-promoting properties.

Scope and approach This review explored the added-value microorganisms isolated from unconventional sources and their techno-functional and probiotic properties. Fruits (strawberry, guava, apple, peach, grape, and papaya), vegetables (peppers, corn, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber, coffee beans, and olives), flowers (narcissus, pink rose, red rose, yellow rose, and sunflower), and ethnic fermented beverages (tchapalo, tarubá, cauim, chicha, caxiri, kombucha, and water kefir) are source of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus and amended genera, Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, Pediococcus, Fructobacillus, and Weissella) and yeasts (Saccharomyces, Candida, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Torulaspora, Cryptococcus, Hansenula, and Debaromyces).

Key findings and conclusions Strains isolated from unconventional sources showed antimicrobial capacity, production of bioactive metabolites, and technological properties, suggesting their utilization as biopreservatives in food products or against phytopathogens, and for improving the nutritional value and sensory characteristics of food products. Their utilization as starter cultures in fermented foods may decrease the fermentation time and improve the products' characteristics. Some strains showed probiotic potential, presenting important adhesion and auto and co-aggregation properties, cell surface hydrophobicity, safety, and resistance to the gastrointestinal tract. These probiotic cultures showed anti-hypertensive, antilipidemic, immunomodulatory, and anti-diabetic properties in in vitro assessments or animal models. However, clinical studies are necessary to demonstrate the health effects in humans. In conclusion, cultures isolated from unconventional sources have a high potential for use in processing and functionalization of foods and can be alternative tools for developing vegan probiotic products.