Metabolites of Lactic Acid Bacteria

Lactic acid fermentation is among the oldest forms of food preservation, but to extend the shelf life is only the start of which lactic acid bacteria (LAB) affects our foods. For example, lactic acid fermentation might develop specific textures, enrich some characteristic sensory properties, and even afford human health maintaining and promoting benefits. It has long been believed that LAB exerts those functions by their various metabolites. To this end, their potential use as cell factories for desired microbial metabolites is receiving extensive attention by the food and pharmaceutical industries. More importantly, the application of genetic engineering and metabolic engineering of LAB promotes the production of both the primary and the more complex secondary metabolisms. This chapter will summarize recent findings about metabolites (such as lactic acid, short-chain fatty acids, γ-amino butyric acid, conjugated linoleic acid, bacteriocin and bacteriocin-like, etc.) of LAB as well as their potential in industries.