Riboflavin production by lactic acid bacteria: a mini-review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of microbiological and food biotechnology literature without primary human data.
PubMed 41627530 · doi:10.1007/s11274-026-04807-2
What was done
Narrative mini-review summarizing published literature on riboflavin (vitamin B2) biosynthesis in lactic acid bacteria (LAB), genetic and metabolic regulatory mechanisms, fermentation optimization, microencapsulation strategies, and applications in functional food biofortification.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative metrics or comparative yield numbers. It qualitatively notes that LAB achieve lower riboflavin titers than traditional industrial organisms (such as Ashbya gossypii and Bacillus subtilis), but offer food-grade safety status (GRAS/QPS), gastrointestinal survival, pathogen inhibition, and epithelial adhesion suitable for functional food applications.
Why it matters
Highlights the potential of food-grade lactic acid bacteria to naturally biofortify fermented foods with vitamin B2, offering a clean-label alternative to synthetic vitamin fortification.
Limits
As a narrative review, it provides no new empirical measurements or systematic data synthesis. The abstract does not report specific production yields, comparative strain metrics, cost analyses, or human clinical bioavailability outcomes.
Cited by
- supports Fermenting bacteria in fermented foods produce and secrete B vitamins.