In Vivo and In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Fresh Pasta Produced Using Semolina-Based or Wholemeal Semolina-Based Liquid Sourdough

Probiotics in the Sourdough Bread Fermentation: Current Status

Sourdough fermentation is an ancient technique to ferment cereal flour that improves bread quality, bringing nutritional and health benefits. The fermented dough has a complex microbiome composed mainly of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. During fermentation, the production of metabolites and chemical reactions occur, giving the product unique characteristics and a high sensory quality. Mastery of fermentation allows adjustment of gluten levels, delaying starch digestibility, and increasing the bio-accessibility of vitamins and minerals. This review focuses on the main steps of sourdough fermentation, the microorganisms involved, and advances in bread production with functional properties. The impact of probiotics on human health, the metabolites produced, and the main microbial enzymes used in the bakery industry are also discussed.

Sourdough Fermentation as a Tool to Improve the Nutritional and Health-Promoting Properties of Its Derived-Products

Cereal products are staple foods highly appreciated and consumed worldwide. Nonetheless, due to the presence of gluten proteins, and other co-existing compounds such as amylase-trypsin inhibitors and fermentable short-chain carbohydrates in those products, their preference by consumers has substantially decreased. Gluten affects the small gut of people with celiac disease, triggering a gut inflammation condition via auto-immune response, causing a cascade of health disorders. Amylase-trypsin inhibitors and fermentable short-chain carbohydrate compounds that co-exists with gluten in the cereal-based foods matrix have been associated with several gastrointestinal symptoms in non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Since the symptoms are somewhat overlapped, the relation between celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome has recently received marked interest by researchers. Sourdough fermentation is one of the oldest ways of bread leavening, by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts population, converting cereal flour into attractive, tastier, and more digestible end-products. Lactic acid bacteria acidification in situ is a key factor to activate several cereal enzymes as well as the synthesis of microbial active metabolites, to positively influence the nutritional/functional and health-promoting benefits of the derived products. This review aims to explore and highlight the potential of sourdough fermentation in the Food Science and Technology field.