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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing
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Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 7505

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Theodoros Varzakas

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Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Peloponnese, 24100 Antikalamos, Greece
Interests: food technology; food engineering; food safety; food quality; extra virgin olive oil; mycotoxins; fermented foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Athanasios Alexopoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Hygiene, Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, 68200 Orestiada, Greece
Interests: food and environmental hygiene; microbial ecology of food and aquatic ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transforming the current food system toward the goals of providing healthy, high-quality and safe diets along with environmental sustainability constitutes one of the major challenges of current times. Therefore, the application of biotechnologically derived processes for the creation of novel food formulations with high consumer acceptance, improved microbial stability, enriched with health-promoting bioactive compounds and improved sensorial qualities has opened numerous opportunities for the food industry. Based on this consideration, this Special Issue, entitled “Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing”, aims to target the development of novel food formulations using several biotechnological approaches. Recently, there have been many biotechnology-related advances in the food industry. GM plants and animals are used to enhance the taste, shelf life, nutrition and quality of food. On the other hand, GM yeast and bacteria are used to produce enzymes for the sake of the food industry. These GM foods are produced through the use of biotechnological techniques, specifically genetic engineering.

Modern biotechnology can be used to enhance food taste, yield, shelf life and nutritional values. It is also useful in food processing (fermentation and enzyme involving processes). Hence, biotechnology is beneficial for eliminating hunger, malnutrition and diseases from low- and middle-income countries. Possible applications of modern food biotechnology involve the use of different fermentation and enzyme technologies. Currently, genetically modified enzymes have many applications in food industries: catalase used to remove hydrogen peroxide in mayonnaise production, chymosin used to coagulate milk in cheese production, glucose oxidase used to stabilize dough in baking, α-amylase used to convert starch into maltose for sweetness in baking, proteases used in the meat tenderization process, baking and preparation of dairy products. Other examples of biotechnology techniques include the introduction of vitamin A gene into rice and other crops and extending the shelf life of genetically modified tomatoes by controlling polygalacturonase, which induces ripening and softening.

This Special Issue aims to collect and publish recent reviews and research articles related to biotechnology-derived food products, innovative and emerging food and by-product processing methods, fermented food products, structural and biochemical characterization of food-derived bioactive compounds, bioactivity evaluation and food waste and byproduct valorization.

Prof. Dr. Theodoros Varzakas
Dr. Athanasios Alexopoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biotechnology
  • genetically modified food
  • novel functional foods
  • bioassays
  • nutricosmetics
  • chemical characterization
  • emerging processing technologies
  • novel extraction techniques
  • food processing
  • fermentation-oriented foods
  • food safety
  • nutrimetabolomics

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
The In Vitro Assessment of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Efficacy in Rosa damascena and Hypericum perforatum Extracts against Pathogenic Strains in the Interplay of Dental Caries, Oral Health, and Food Microbiota
by Maria Antoniadou, Georgios Rozos, Natalia Vaiou, Konstantinos Zaralis, Caglar Ersanli, Athanasios Alexopoulos, Athina Tzora, Theodoros Varzakas and Chrysoula (Chrysa) Voidarou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12010060 - 28 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1111
Abstract
The rising demand for novel antibiotic agents prompts an investigation into natural resources, notably plant-derived compounds. In this study, various extracts (aqueous, ethanolic, aqueous-ethanolic, and enzymatic) of Rosa damascena and Hypericum perforatum were systematically evaluated against bacterial strains isolated from dental lesions ( [...] Read more.
The rising demand for novel antibiotic agents prompts an investigation into natural resources, notably plant-derived compounds. In this study, various extracts (aqueous, ethanolic, aqueous-ethanolic, and enzymatic) of Rosa damascena and Hypericum perforatum were systematically evaluated against bacterial strains isolated from dental lesions (n = 6) and food sources (raw milk and broiler carcass, n = 2). Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), antibiofilm activity, and time-kill kinetics were assessed across a range of extract concentrations, revealing a dose-responsive effect. Notably, some extracts exhibited superior antibacterial efficacy compared to standard clinical antibiotics, and the time-kill kinetics demonstrated a rapid elimination of bacterial loads within 24 h. The susceptibility pattern proved strain-specific, contingent upon the extract type, yet all tested pathogens exhibited sensitivity. The identified extracts, rich in phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, as well as other antioxidant properties, contributed to their remarkable antibiotic effects. This comprehensive investigation not only highlights the potential of Rosa damascena and Hypericum perforatum extracts as potent antibacterial agents against diverse bacterial strains including caries pathogens, but also underscores their rapid action and dose-dependent efficacy. The findings suggest a promising avenue for harnessing plant-derived compounds in the development of novel antimicrobial strategies against dental caries and other oral inflammations, bridging the gap between natural resources and antibiotic discovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing)
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16 pages, 1202 KiB  
Article
Microbiota and Cyanotoxin Content of Retail Spirulina Supplements and Spirulina Supplemented Foods
by Jonathan Rhoades, Stamatia Fotiadou, Georgia Paschalidou, Theodoti Papadimitriou, Avelino Álvarez Ordóñez, Konstantinos Kormas, Elisabeth Vardaka and Eleni Likotrafiti
Microorganisms 2023, 11(5), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051175 - 30 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2970
Abstract
Cyanobacterial biomass such as spirulina (Arthrospira spp.) is widely available as a food supplement and can also be added to foods as a nutritionally beneficial ingredient. Spirulina is often produced in open ponds, which are vulnerable to contamination by various microorganisms, including [...] Read more.
Cyanobacterial biomass such as spirulina (Arthrospira spp.) is widely available as a food supplement and can also be added to foods as a nutritionally beneficial ingredient. Spirulina is often produced in open ponds, which are vulnerable to contamination by various microorganisms, including some toxin-producing cyanobacteria. This study examined the microbial population of commercially available spirulina products including for the presence of cyanobacterial toxins. Five products (two supplements, three foods) were examined. The microbial populations were determined by culture methods, followed by identification of isolates using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), and by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the products themselves and of the total growth on the enumeration plates. Toxin analysis was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Several potentially pathogenic bacteria were detected in the products, including Bacillus cereus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Microcystin toxins were detected in all the products at levels that could lead to consumers exceeding their recommended daily limits. Substantial differences were observed in the identifications obtained using amplicon sequencing and MALDI-TOF, particularly between closely related Bacillus spp. The study showed that there are microbiological safety issues associated with commercial spirulina products that should be addressed, and these are most likely associated with the normal means of production in open ponds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing)
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18 pages, 1370 KiB  
Article
Plasma-Treated Water: A Comparison with Analog Mixtures of Traceable Ingredients
by Thomas Weihe, Yijiao Yao, Nevin Opitz, Robert Wagner, Johanna Krall, Uta Schnabel, Harald Below and Jörg Ehlbeck
Microorganisms 2023, 11(4), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040932 - 03 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1406
Abstract
Plasma-treated water (PTW) possess anti-microbial potential against Pseudomonas fluorescence, which is observable for both suspended cells and cells organized in biofilms. Against that background, the chemical composition of PTW tends to focus. Various analytical techniques have been applied for analyses, which reveal [...] Read more.
Plasma-treated water (PTW) possess anti-microbial potential against Pseudomonas fluorescence, which is observable for both suspended cells and cells organized in biofilms. Against that background, the chemical composition of PTW tends to focus. Various analytical techniques have been applied for analyses, which reveal various traceable reactive oxygen and nitrogen compounds (RONS). Based on these findings, it is our aim to generate a PTW analog (anPTW), which has been compared in its anti-microbial efficiency with freshly generated PTW. Additionally, a solution of every traceable compound of PTW has been mixed according to their PTW concentration. As references, we treated suspended cells and mature biofilms of P. fluorescence with PTW that originates from a microwave-driven plasma source. The anti-microbial efficiency of all solutions has been tested based on a combination of a proliferation, an XTT, and a live–dead assay. The outcomes of the test proved an anti-microbial power of PTW that suggests more active ingredients than the traceable compounds HNO3, HNO2, and H2O2 or the combined mixture of the analog. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Safety and Biotechnology in Food Production and Processing)
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