Enhancing high-fibre cereal food quality through microbial-enzymatic processing: Mechanisms, applications, and prospects

Abstract

Microbial-enzymatic processing, a novel biological regulation method, combines enzymatic hydrolysis with microbial fermentation, showing significant potential for improving the quality of high-fibre cereal foods. However, current research has insufficiently explored the systematic mechanisms and quantitative analysis of its regulatory quality. This review summarises commonly used microorganisms and enzymes, process principles, and key influencing factors, providing an in-depth analysis of their regulation mechanisms on cereals. Results indicate a 34 % reduction in cellulose content and modifications in the molecular structure of starches and proteins. Anti-nutritional factors decrease by 20-40 %, total phenolic acids and flavonoids increase by 46.56 % and 57.28 % respectively. Water-holding capacity increases by 79.87 % and gel properties are enhanced. Antioxidant capacity increases by 48.98 %, while mineral bioavailability and macromolecular absorption rates improved. Furthermore, the flavour and texture of food are enhanced. Finally, this review summarises the applications and prospects for integrating this technology with novel methods to facilitate industrial development.

Keywords: Enzymatic hydrolysis; Fermentation; Functional cereal-based foods; High-fibre cereals; Microbial-enzymatic processing.