Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a unique subset of microorganisms that have co-evolved with humans since the beginning of agricultural practices and animal domestication and throughout our never-ending quest for food preservation, digestibility, and flavor enhancement. LAB have historically played a preponderant role in our foods. In this review, we focus on the enzymatic activities and current or potential applications of LAB in our lives. A description of each of the enzymatic systems in LAB is included. Glycosidases, which hydrolyze the most abundant food molecules and as sources of carbon, sustain the lives of organisms on Earth as well as ensure microbial innocuity by the production of lactic acid from the uniquely mammalian carbohydrate, lactose. Lipases and proteases or proteinases are of fundamental importance in food fermentations and in dairy foods for flavor development. Bacteriocins and peptidoglycan hydrolases are part of the enzymatic system of LAB that has evolved to make these bacteria fierce competitors in various microbiomes, which are highly important for the human gut. In this review, we also present an explanation on how the versatility of the genetics of LAB can adapt to the matrix where they are placed with the advantage of not having any toxicity to humans. The systematic study of LAB enzymes has allowed for some unique applications in foods and biopharmaceutical industries. Here, we summarize how different enzyme systems in LAB are classified, and thus, facilitate much-needed further studies to understand the fundamentals and translate them into applications to improve our lives.
Keywords: Biotechnological tools; Food applications; Lactic acid bacteria; Proteins.