Applications of fungi secondary metabolites in the food industry

Abstract

The increasing consumers' awareness about natural vs. synthetic food additives/ingredients has challenged the food sector to make microbial fermentation economically feasible and scalable. Several fungal volatile compounds with a wide range of fruity, floral, musty, fatty, malty, almond-like, mushroom-like, and alliaceous-like flavors can be produced by fermentation, and incorporated into processed foods such as breads, cheeses, cured meats, soy products, and beverages, besides inhibiting phytopathogens and spoilage organisms that decrease foods and crops shelf life. Fungal pigments that can replace synthetic food dyes are sustainable and independent of seasonal changes, but stability is still a challenge, while essential fatty acids with oxidative stability can be produced in high yields by oleaginous fungi. Moreover, bioactive fungal metabolites may contribute to the development of functional foods and supplements with remarkable anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral, among other activities. Using bio-wastes as substrates for fungal fermentation allows cost-reduction, which associated with "green" extraction processes reinforces the sustainability of fungal metabolites. Modern techniques such as genetic engineering, CRISPR/Cas9, chemical modulation, mutagenesis, and co-cultivation can be harnessed for optimization and diversification of secondary metabolites production, as well as spectroscopical and chromatographic tools can be used for screening and characterizing new molecules useful for food purposes in complex samples.