Antioxidant Activity of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Application in Fermented Meat Products: A Review

As a starter culture for fermented meat products, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have proven to exhibit a remarkable antioxidant activity. However, during the fermentation process, LAB are susceptible to environmental stress factors, inducing the production and accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and in turn affecting the antioxidant activity of LAB and largely limiting their antioxidant activity in fermented meat products. This review is aimed to discuss the environmental stress factors for LAB, evaluate the response and defense mechanism of LAB to oxidative stress and their antioxidant mechanism, and describe the strategies for improving the resistance of LAB to oxidative stress. The antioxidant effect of LAB in fermented meat products is also discussed.