Poonam Nigam

The exploitation of agro-industrial side-streams can be a key strategy for sustainable production. The industrial processing of Corinthian currants generates a significant amount of side-stream (substandard raisins, SR) with high nutritional value and potential for biotechnological valorization. Additionally, indigenous microbial resources are increasingly studied for their role in modulating wine profile and secondary metabolites. In this study, a lactic acid-producing yeast isolated from Greek Mavrodaphne wine was evaluated for fermentation performance, oenological characteristics, and volatile profile in both synthetic must and wine from SR extract. The strain, displaying phenotypic traits characteristic of lactic acid-producing non-Saccharomyces yeasts (presumptively Lachancea sp.), exhibited efficient sugar consumption (residual sugars below 0.2 g/L), moderate glycerol production (0.4–0.6% w/v), and significant lactic acid formation (3.2–7.0 g/L). Wines presented acceptable volatile acidity (below 0.91 g/L), total acidity 8.6–10.2 g/L, phenolic content 191–200 mg GAE/L, and antioxidant capacity 39.7–51.1 mg AAE/L. GC-MS analysis identified 51 and 111 compounds in the synthetic and raisin wines, respectively, with esters predominating the aroma profile. SR is a promising fermentation substrate, and the new yeast has potential for biologically acidified wines with modified volatile characteristics, contributing to sustainable side-stream valorization and enhancing terroir expression within the viticultural sector.

Plant-based foods have emerged as an important choice for many consumers. Although foods formulated from plant-derived raw materials and ingredients can contribute to more sustainable food systems, their broader consumer acceptance continues to be constrained by suboptimal flavour quality compared with products prepared using animal-derived ingredients. While considerable research has focused on improving the texture, nutritional value, and processing of plant-based foods, recreating the savoury depth characteristic of animal-derived foods remains a persistent challenge. Edible mushroom by-products have attracted increasing attention as sustainable sources of flavour-enhancing compounds; however, their functionality cannot be explained solely by the presence of glutamate or other individual constituents. Rather, their sensory effects arise from coordinated interactions among umami-active molecules, receptor-mediated taste mechanisms, food matrix properties, and human perception. This review examines the potential of edible mushroom by-products as natural flavour-enhancing ingredients for plant-based foods. It also reviews evidence on flavour-active composition, the molecular basis of umami perception, glutamate–5′-nucleotide synergism, formulation strategies, sensory evaluation, consumer acceptance, and industrial translation.

Despite the growing incorporation of plant-derived agri-food byproducts into beverage formulations, translating their bioactive potential into consistent physiological outcomes remains challenging. Functional performance is determined not only by the composition of bioactive ingredients but also by beverage matrix engineering, processing conditions, physicochemical stability, gastrointestinal bioaccessibility, and regulatory readiness. This review critically examines the valorization of plant-derived agri-food byproducts in functional beverage applications, with particular emphasis on matrix engineering strategies that enhance the stability, dispersibility, sensory quality, and delivery of bioactive compounds. The review further discusses how beverage matrix composition influences pH stability, phase behavior, flavor profile, and gastrointestinal interactions, thereby shaping biological performance. In addition, current evidence regarding the capacity of bioactive ingredients derived from plant-based byproducts to modulate the gut microbiota is evaluated from a mechanistic perspective. Translational challenges associated with industrial implementation, including formulation feasibility, physicochemical stability during storage, safety assessment, scalability, regulatory approval, and consumer acceptance, are also critically discussed. Available evidence indicates that many reported health benefits originate from controlled experimental models that only partially represent commercial beverage systems. Therefore, future research should prioritize integrated formulation strategies that combine sustainable byproduct valorization with beverage matrix optimization, mechanistic validation, and translational evaluation to bridge the gap between experimental evidence and commercially relevant functional beverage applications.

Fermented beverages are increasingly recognized as promising vehicles for delivering probiotics and bioactive compounds; however, their functionality cannot be explained solely by microbial properties, as it is strongly shaped by interactions between the microorganism, the food matrix, and processing conditions. This review critically synthesizes evidence across fruit-, dairy-, and cereal-based fermented beverage systems, with particular attention to the fragmented and often difficult-to-compare nature of the available literature. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (S. boulardii) demonstrates notable tolerance to gastrointestinal and processing-related stresses and has been associated with immunomodulatory and gut-health benefits, the translation of these attributes into consistent beverage functionality remains highly matrix dependent. Evidence derived from in vitro, animal, and clinical studies suggests potential health benefits; however, differences in strains, fermentation conditions, beverage composition, and analytical approaches complicate direct comparisons and may partly explain the variability observed among reported outcomes. Beyond biological performance, important challenges remain regarding stability, ethanol production, sensory acceptance, safety considerations, and industrial implementation. Current evidence indicates that beverage composition and processing conditions are major determinants of S. boulardii performance and may partly explain the variability observed among studies. The review further highlights current knowledge gaps and identifies priorities for the development of next-generation functional beverages based on S. boulardii fermentation.

Biological activity of diets consisting of dietary fibers, peptides and polyphenols is largely mediated by the gut microbiota, which converts these compounds into bioactive metabolites. This review examines the microbiota–epigenome axis, highlighting gut microbiota-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), urolithins, and phenolic acids, that modulate host gene expression through DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA regulation. Current evidence from molecular and microbiome studies indicates that these metabolites influence key metabolic and inflammatory pathways, including lipid absorption via CD36, SIRT1 activation, and one-carbon metabolism involving folate and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Inter-individual variability in metabolic responses is associated with differences in microbial composition and metabotypes, which determine the magnitude of epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, dietary polyphenols derived from pomegranate, berries, tea, cocoa, and grapes are shown to modulate gut microbiota composition and enhance epigenetic effects. A “butyrate–polyphenol synergy” model is proposed, in which combined microbial metabolites optimize host epigenetic programming. Overall, agri-food by-products are suggested to function as modulators of the host epigenetic landscape, providing a framework for microbiome-targeted dietary strategies to improve metabolic and inflammatory health.

Saccharomyces boulardii is a well-established probiotic yeast with documented clinical benefits for gastrointestinal health. This review highlights the key biotherapeutic mechanisms underlying its protective effects, with particular emphasis on its bioactive metabolites, including specialized enzymes, polyamines, organic acids, and vitamins. These postbiotic factors contribute to epithelial barrier reinforcement, immune modulation, and pathogen exclusion, thereby promoting intestinal homeostasis. In addition, S. boulardii supports microbial equilibrium through colonization resistance and regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. Clinical evidence demonstrates its efficacy in the prevention and management of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Safety considerations are also addressed, noting its biological distinction from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, particularly its inability to undergo hyphal transformation. Owing to its resilience against gastric acidity, bile salts, and concomitant antibiotic therapy, S. boulardii represents a valuable adjunct in contemporary gastrointestinal therapeutics and a promising platform for functional and translational applications.

Background/Objectives: The human gastrointestinal tract is a dynamic and interactive micro-ecosystem, with its distinct microbial population residing in the gut. The healthy condition of the gut is integrated into the normal functioning of all physiological activities. The gut microbiome is critical for the functioning of metabolism via several gut-axis connections with different systems in the human body; thus, it affects the status of health and general well-being. The fundamental physiology and homeostatic shifts are associated with specific diseases caused by a disrupted balance in the diversity of the gut microbiome, which could be due to a condition of dysbiosis in a host, instigated by several reasons. Some studies have been conducted on the selective isolation of probiotic species from dairy and other food sources to obtain effective probiotic strains, which have been studied and used by dietary intake strategies to restore gut microbial diversity, which is disturbed by some disease/s. Methods: Our search strategy included specific keywords—gut, microbiota, microbiome, disease, dysbiosis, probiotic bacteria and yeast—and was based on a timeframe of 15 years in the web-based electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Among the few hundred results, a secondary screening was conducted to select references on probiotics studied for disease management with preclinical evidence and some reports on clinically validated outcomes; we excluded the search results for screening fermented foods for taxonomy studies of isolated probiotics. Results: The summarised information using two figures and two tables has been presented in this article from the review of 137 selected references: >75% have been published in the last 10 years. Conclusions: Further advances in modelling and analysis of the gut microbiota are required to understand their influence on the occurrence of certain diseases; this approach will allow us to establish research strategies for filling knowledge gaps, inconsistencies in clinical evidence, or limitations in translating probiotic effects from experimental models to humans.

There is an increasing interest in functional food formulations with added bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, probiotics, polyphenols and bioactive peptides, specifically in dairy and plant-based foods, bakery, and beverages. However, their stability in the food system, release rates and biological activity after consumption/digestion play an important role in the effectiveness of functional foods. There are technical challenges in maintaining the stability and acceptability of added compounds in the formulation design of food items. A novel approach to delivering bioactive compounds in functional foods is their microencapsulation, where stability-sensitive compounds are protected against their degradation during processing and physiological digestion, with targeted release in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and elicited cellular responses. Microencapsulation of bioactive compounds has been proven to be beneficial in in vitro models for the stability, antioxidant and immunomodulatory action, and acceptability compared to free (non-capsulated) forms. This technology is worth considering relative to the protection of health benefits of compounds used in food products, with their necessary bioactivity after physiological digestion in GIT. This article reviews important bioactive compounds, challenges, and strategies in the development of functional foods to ensure the required stability for the bioavailability of added compounds.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using a green route with Mentha spicata (M. spicata) extract. The extract was prepared through three methods (Soxhlet, maceration, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction) and the yields were compared as weight percentages of dry plant material. Soxhlet extraction gave the highest yield of 34.36% while ultrasonic-assisted extraction and maceration provided yields of 18.21% and 11.80%, respectively. Although ultrasonic-assisted extraction method had lower yield, it was selected as an optimal one due to shorter extraction time, less solvent consumption, and high energy efficiency among other methods. The antioxidant capacity of M. spicata extract was very high with total polyphenol content at 106.22 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry plant material and IC₅₀ at 34.02 μg/mL in the DPPH assay; key synthesis parameters for AgNPs were optimized pH (9), temperature (60 °C), and extract concentration (1.0 g/L). Characterization by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the crystalline structure, functional groups, and average particle size of about 58.41 nm; these synthesized AgNPs showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, and Salmonella typhimurium at a concentration of 5 mg/mL to emphasize optimizing extraction and synthesis conditions for better bioactivity of nanoparticles.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important homopolysaccharide also known as a natural anionic mucopolysaccharide or glycosaminoglycan formed by the alternate connection of glucuronic acid and N‐acetylglucosamine as disaccharide units. For this review, the literature was searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using a few specific keywords including hyaluronic acid, biopolymer, glucuronic acid, N‐acetylglucosamine, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, anti‐aging and wound. Among the searched publications, further screening was done to select reports on the use of HA in healthcare and pharmaceutical products. Information relevant to the topic of this review has been presented in the article using 100 selected references, in eight tables and five figures. HA is a commercially valuable biocompatible polymer, which has been traditionally derived from rooster combs and animal tissues. However, it is currently produced through microbial fermentation by group C Streptococci . This biopolymer occurs naturally in several human tissues, including the skin and eyes. HA is a vital ingredient used in numerous products by global industries due to its unique characteristics, like inherent biocompatibility, tissue regenerative capacity, and anti‐inflammatory properties. There has been a significant interest in recent years, enhanced across the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Equally, the increased consumer interest from the aging population is compelling the demand for anti‐aging products. Therefore, the global market for products formulated with HA marketed with defined benefits is experiencing significant growth. In this review, we have summarized current commercial applications of HA in many industries and consequently the increasing market size in specific application sectors in the next five years by 2030 in the international market.