Proteomics and transcriptomics and their application in fermented foods

Fermentation is a primeval practice to preserve, sometimes, inedible raw materials into safe, shelf-stable, and tasty foods or beverages using the microorganisms. Owing to the partial oxidation of organic molecules, various aromatic compounds and other products are produced. Owing to the diverse microbiome that exists in these fermented products, the properties of these fermented products such as the texture, flavor, acidity, and the associated health benefits are usually affected. Previously, traditional culture-dependent microbiological techniques have been employed to study food microbiota for a long time to understand the subtleties of such products. With the advent of molecular- or culture-independent approaches generally known as omics science, a solid grasp of microbiota dynamics has been established. The use of omics in studying fermented products provides one with metabolic and gene/functional potential knowledge of how microbiomes impact a given product. These include the chemicals that characterize its scent and flavor as well as its nutritional characteristics—metabolomics. On the other hand, analyzing the functional potential—transcriptomics and proteomics—of microbiomes is a difficult undertaking, but tremendous efforts have been put forward toward vital and deeper insights into understanding the underlying transcriptional and proteomic mechanisms of fermented products. Until recently, most omics research studies have been concentrated on commercial products, while traditional fermented foods have been overlooked. This chapter provides reports on the applications of omics, specifically transcriptomics and proteomics in the study of traditional fermented foods.