Enhancing Micronutrients Bioavailability through Fermentation of Plant-Based Foods: A Concise Review

Abstract

Plant-based foods are rich sources of vitamins and essential micronutrients. For the proper functioning of the human body and their crucial role, trace minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, etc.) are required in appropriate amounts. Cereals and pulses are the chief sources of these trace minerals. Despite these minerals, adequate consumption of plant foods cannot fulfill the human body’s total nutrient requirement. Plant foods also contain ample amounts of anti-nutritional factors such as phytate, tannins, phenols, oxalates, etc. These factors can compromise the bioavailability of several essential micronutrients in plant foods. However, literature reports show that fermentation and related processing methods can improve nutrient and mineral bioavailability of plant foods. In this review, studies related to fermentation methods that can be used to improve micronutrient bioavailability in plant foods are discussed.

Keywords

• fermentation
• antinutritional factors
• micronutrients
• bioaccessibility
• bioavailability
• plant foods