Legumes and Legume-Based Beverages Fermented with Lactic Acid Bacteria as a Potential Carrier of Probiotics and Prebiotics

Fermentation is widely used in the processing of dairy, meat, and plant products. Due to the growing popularity of plant diets and the health benefits of consuming fermented products, there has been growing interest in the fermentation of plant products and the selection of microorganisms suitable for this process. The review provides a brief overview of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their use in fermentation of legumes and legume-based beverages. Its scope also extends to prebiotic ingredients present in legumes and legume-based beverages that can support the growth of LAB. Legumes are a suitable matrix for the production of plant-based beverages, which are the most popular products among dairy alternatives. Legumes and legume-based beverages have been successfully fermented with LAB. Legumes are a natural source of ingredients with prebiotic properties, including oligosaccharides, resistant starch, polyphenols, and isoflavones. These compounds provide a broad range of important physiological benefits, including anti-inflammatory and immune regulation, as well as anti-cancer properties and metabolic regulation. The properties of legumes make it possible to use them to create synbiotic food, which is a source of probiotics and prebiotics.

Automated summary

Fermentation is widely utilized in the processing of dairy, meat, and plant products. With the increasing popularity of plant-based diets and the health benefits of fermented products, there is growing interest in fermenting plant products and selecting suitable microorganisms. This review provides an overview of using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for fermenting legumes and legume-based beverages. It also explores the prebiotic ingredients in legumes that can support LAB growth. Legumes make a suitable matrix for producing plant-based beverages, which are popular dairy alternatives. Successful fermentation of legumes and legume-based beverages with LAB had been achieved. Legumes naturally contain prebiotic compounds such as oligosaccharides, resistant starch, polyphenols, and isoflavones, which provide various physiological benefits including anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, anti-cancer, and metabolic regulation. The properties of legumes enable them to create synbiotic foods that combine probiotics and prebiotics.