Ecological and biochemical synergy in Fungal–LAB co-fermentation: From enzymatic priming to sustainable functional foods | ||
| Microbial Biosystems | ||
| Volume 10, Issue 4, December 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Reviews | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mb.2025.435082.1477 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ahmed A. Abdelwahed* 1; Zahid Naeem Qaisrani2; Gad Elsayed Mohamed Salem3; Mohammad Ashfaq4; Suttiporn Pinijsuwan1; Ahmed M. Abdel-Azeem5, 6, 7 | ||
| 1School of Agro-Industry, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand. | ||
| 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Balochistan, 87300, Pakistan. | ||
| 3Department of Microbiology, Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Giza, Egypt | ||
| 4School of Sciences, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India | ||
| 5Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt | ||
| 6Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), Splaiul Independentei 91-95, 5th District, Bucharest, Romania. | ||
| 7The Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the University of the Free State, Free State 6690, South Africa. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Fungal–lactic acid bacteria (LAB) co-fermentation represents an emerging, eco-efficient biotechnology that integrates fungal enzymatic priming with bacterial metabolic refinement to generate functional and microbiologically safe foods. This review consolidates current understanding of the ecological and biochemical synergy underpinning fungal–LAB interactions, emphasizing how enzymatic hydrolysis, nutrient cross-feeding, and acidification dynamics enhance food quality, safety, and sustainability. Filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Penicillium initiate the process by secreting hydrolases that depolymerize complex macromolecules, thereby enriching the substrate with fermentable monomers. LAB including Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Levilactobacillus brevis, and Weissella cibaria, subsequently convert these intermediates into organic acids, exopolysaccharides, vitamins, and bioactive peptides that stabilize the system and improve nutritional bioavailability. The resulting co-metabolism enhances protein digestibility, mineral release, and antioxidant potential while suppressing spoilage and mycotoxin formation. Recent multi-omics advances have revealed inter-kingdom signaling networks and stress-response mechanisms that enable mutual adaptation and precision control. Fungal–LAB partnerships increasingly support agro-industrial waste valorization, probiotic carrier development, and sustainable functional-food production within the circular bioeconomy. Despite clear promise, challenges remain in standardizing starter consortia, optimizing large-scale kinetics, and validating health outcomes through clinical studies. Collectively, this synergistic microbial model offers a biologically elegant and technologically versatile pathway toward next-generation functional foods and resource-efficient bioprocessing. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Lactic acid bacteria; microbial synergy; multi-omics; process modalities; sustainable food production | ||
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