Gu Yao, Liu Tingting, Al-Ansi Waleed, Qian Haifeng, Fan Mingcong, Li Yan, Wang Li
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2025 Jan;24(1):e70074. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.70074.
The global food system faces numerous challenges, creating an urgent need for sustainable reform. Functional microbiome assemblies offer transformative potential by endowing microbial foods with diverse, beneficial characteristics. These assemblies can dynamically influence specific food systems, positioning them as a promising approach for reshaping food production. However, the current applications and types of microbiome assemblies in foods remain limited, with a lack of effective screening and regulatory methods. This review introduces the functions and practical approaches for implementing microbiome assemblies in food systems alongside future directions for enhancing their applications. Several ecological studies evaluated how to regulate functional output and revealed that environmental conditions, which shape the niche for species survival, significantly influenced the functional output of microbiomes. Building on this theoretical foundation, this review presents a model for functional output comprising niche conditions, functional gene codes, and corresponding functional outputs. This model is illustrated with examples to explore sustainable applications and regulatory mechanisms for functional microbiome assemblies. By highlighting the roles of functional outputs in food systems and examining the potential for food environments to induce and modulate microbiome functions, this review provides a roadmap to address emerging challenges in food sustainability.
全球粮食系统面临诸多挑战，因此迫切需要进行可持续改革。功能性微生物群落组合具有变革潜力，可为微生物食品赋予多样有益特性。这些组合能够动态影响特定粮食系统，使其成为重塑粮食生产的一种有前景的方法。然而，目前微生物群落组合在食品中的应用及类型仍然有限，且缺乏有效的筛选和监管方法。本综述介绍了在食品系统中应用微生物群落组合的功能和实际方法以及增强其应用的未来方向。多项生态学研究评估了如何调节功能输出，并揭示出塑造物种生存生态位的环境条件会显著影响微生物群落的功能输出。基于这一理论基础，本综述提出了一个功能输出模型，该模型包括生态位条件、功能基因编码及相应的功能输出。文中通过实例对该模型进行说明，以探讨功能性微生物群落组合的可持续应用和调控机制。通过强调功能输出在食品系统中的作用，并研究食品环境诱导和调节微生物群落功能的潜力，本综述提供了应对食品可持续性新挑战的路线图。
