Enzymatic activities of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: technological and functional role in food processing and human nutrition

Today, the “microbial food cultures” are widely used to improve various characteristics, such as organoleptic properties, shelf-life extension, and nutritional value of foods. This potential is linked to many enzymatic activities of the microorganisms that cause modifications of pre-existing substances producing newly synthesized chemicals. In this regard, the species Lactiplantibacillus plantarum belongs to the group of lactic acid bacteria and is widely present in nature, especially in many spontaneously fermented foods. To date, this microorganism is a bacterial species that has stimulated widespread interest in the food sector. Enzymatic activities of L. plantarum have been shown to improve shelf life and organoleptic qualities like increasing both the nutritional and functional value of many fermented foods of plant and animal origin. This paper reviews the recent literature regarding enzymatic activities of L. plantarum (e.g. glucosidase, amylase, rhamnosidase and galactosidase) that have been suggested to play a role in the definition of the organoleptic, nutritional and functional characteristics of fermented foods. For this latter aspect, a discussion is provided on activities of specific enzymes that have been proposed to potentially impact human health due to either by direct action (e.g. bile salts hydrolase, BSH) or by synthesizing bio-active compounds (e.g. γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA; conjugated linoleic acids, CLA). Results of the investigation of the literature reported here strongly indicate the need for further studies to select strains of L. plantarum with both joint pro-technological and probiotic properties to obtain new functional fermented foods.