Julia Hartung

Bio: Julia Hartung is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fermented milk products & Modified milk ingredients. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 77 citations.

Physiological properties of milk ingredients released by fermentation

Abstract: The demand for health-promoting food ingredients rises within an increasing market worldwide. Different milks fermented with bacteria, yeasts, moulds or enzymes from animal, plant and microbial sources offer a broad range of possibilities to cover different health aspects with new bioactive components. By the fermentation process interesting ingredients are enriched and released from the matrix, like lactoferrin, micro-nutrients, CLA and sphingolipids or synthesized, such as exo-polysaccharides and bioactive peptides. In particular, milk derived bioactive peptides exert several important health-promoting activities, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, opioid and mineral-binding properties. Milk-fermentation processes with probiotic bacteria synergistically combine health supporting bacterial and milk ingredient aspects which include new therapeutic solutions concerning hypercholesterolemia, carcinogenic intoxications, treatment of diarrhea, reduction of intestine pathogens, and supporting natural immune defense. Especially, milk-proteins and associated bioactive peptides released during microbial or enzymatic fermentation of milk offer a broad spectrum of new functional properties, for instance anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, anti-oxidative, immuno-modulatory, opioid and mineral-binding properties. This review aimed at discussing recent research activities on physiological purposes and technical process aspects of functional components from fermented milk with a specific focus on biofunctional peptides released from fermented milk proteins.

Current enzymatic milk fermentation procedures

Abstract: Aside from bacteria, yeasts and moulds, enzymes from animal, vegetal and microbial sources are increasingly utilized for milk fermentation providing a broad spectrum of innovative product conceptions. In order to alter texture and flavour or to improve the nutritional value of milk-based products from different animal milks, microbial and enzymatic fermentation procedures are traditionally established worldwide. To date, genomic and proteomic approaches enable new selection strategies for precise enzymes for modern product applications. Hereby, generating beneficial health ingredients from milk is a main aspect. New insights into the biochemical mechanisms of enzymatic digestion and genetic engineering lead to enzymes with exact defined functions for explicit ripening flavour development or the improvement of texture of fermented milk products. The ability to synthesize complex exo-polysaccharides or to release bioactive peptides by accurate proteolytic activities of enzymes or to enzymatically cross-link the protein matrix in order to modify the texture characteristics of fermented milk products is a raising facet, especially for specific pharma- or nutraceutical applications. This review aimed at discussing the recent research activities on milk fermentative enzymes, with focus on the broad spectrum of enzyme origins and current aspects of genetic engineering. New approaches on proteolytic, lipolytic, glycolytic as well as milk clotting and protein cross-linking enzymatic activities are examined and associated with possible product applications. From technical prospective, advantages and disadvantages of immobilized enzymes within milk fermentation processes are critically discussed.

Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

Abstract: In the past, the beneficial effects of fermented foods on health were unknown, and so people primarily used fermentation to preserve foods, enhance shelf life, and improve flavour Fermented foods became an important part of the diet in many cultures, and over time fermentation has been associated with many health benefits Because of this, the fermentation process and the resulting fermented products have recently attracted scientific interest In addition, microorganisms contributing to the fermentation process have recently been associated with many health benefits, and so these microorganisms have become another focus of attention Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been some of the most studied microorganisms During fermentation, these bacteria synthesize vitamins and minerals, produce biologically active peptides with enzymes such as proteinase and peptidase, and remove some non-nutrients Compounds known as biologically active peptides, which are produced by the bacteria responsible for fermentation, are also well known for their health benefits Among these peptides, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) have a blood pressure lowering effect, exopolysaccharides exhibit prebiotic properties, bacteriocins show anti-microbial effects, sphingolipids have anti-carcinogenic and anti-microbial properties, and bioactive peptides exhibit anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, opioid antagonist, anti-allergenic, and blood pressure lowering effects As a result, fermented foods provide many health benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic activity However, some studies have shown no relationship between fermented foods and health benefits Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the health effects of fermented foods

Bioinformatics approaches, prospects and challenges of food bioactive peptide research

Abstract: There has been heightened effort to discover bioactive peptides from food and uncover their human health benefits based on preclinical evaluation systems. Consequently, a myriad of bioactive peptides are continuously reported with emerging interest in elucidating structure–function and molecular mechanisms. However, there is limited clinical evidence to substantiate bioactivity and minimal emphasis on translation into functional peptide products for health uses. This paper highlights the prospects of bioinformatics and a proposed integrated approach for enhancing the production of existing and new bioactive peptides from sustainable food protein sources, followed by discussion of the major challenges that may impact prospective commercialization of food bioactive peptides for use in human health promotion.

Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry

Abstract: The purposeful application of fermentation in food and beverage preparation, as a means to provide palatability, nutritional value, preservative, and medicinal properties, is an ancient practice. Fermented foods and beverages continue to make a significant contribution to the overall patterns of traditional dietary practices. As our knowledge of the human microbiome increases, including its connection to mental health (for example, anxiety and depression), it is becoming increasingly clear that there are untold connections between our resident microbes and many aspects of physiology. Of relevance to this research are new findings concerning the ways in which fermentation alters dietary items pre-consumption, and in turn, the ways in which fermentation-enriched chemicals (for example, lactoferrin, bioactive peptides) and newly formed phytochemicals (for example, unique flavonoids) may act upon our own intestinal microbiota profile. Here, we argue that the consumption of fermented foods may be particularly relevant to the emerging research linking traditional dietary practices and positive mental health. The extent to which traditional dietary items may mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress may be controlled, at least to some degree, by microbiota. It is our contention that properly controlled fermentation may often amplify the specific nutrient and phytochemical content of foods, the ultimate value of which may associated with mental health; furthermore, we also argue that the microbes (for example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species) associated with fermented foods may also influence brain health via direct and indirect pathways.