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1. Introduction
Traditional fermentation is one of the oldest and most economical methods of producing and preserving food (Chavan and Kadam, 1989). Additionally in the past few years, research data have provided evidence that fermented foods may have various health benefits. For instance, dietary consumption of yogurt can reduce the onset of allergies via a mechanism of immune regulation. Similarly, consumption of fermented milk containing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can enhance the production and expression of Type I and Type II interferons at the systemic level (Cross et al., 2001). Some fermented foods can contain biogenic properties that result from the microbial production of bioactive metabolites like vitamins, bioactive peptides, organic acids or fatty acids produced during fermentation (Stanton et al., 2005). Many food derived fibrinolytic enzymes have been purified from various traditional Asian fermented foods, such as Japanese Natto, Tofu, Korean Chungkook-Jang soy sauce, and edible honey mushroom, and are now being used for thrombolytic therapy in the management of heart disease. A report by Mine et al. (2005) stated that fermented shrimp paste, a popular Asian seasoning, has strong fibrinolytic activity. A recent review by Kwon et al. (2010) indicated that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is lower in Asian populations as compared to those in western countries which may be attributed to the consumption of a traditional Asian diet that includes fermented soybean products among other components. The soy protein with isoflavones and small bioactive peptides, produced during fermentation, improve glucose control and reduce insulin resistance. Thus, fermented soy products are better at preventing or delaying the progression of type 2 diabetes. Another popular fermented food in the western world is sourdough which is a mixture of flour and water fermented with a starter culture of yeast and bacteria in ratio of 1:100. Among the 20 isolated species of LAB, Lactobacillus plantarum was the predominant one and among the yeast Saccharomyces and Candida species, were predominating (Vuyst and Neysens, 2005). Sourdough fermentation has been explored for value-addition such as production of fiber-rich or gluten-free products with stabilized or increased levels of bioactive compounds, decreased starch bioavailability (low glyceamic index products) and improved mineral bioavailability (Katina et al., 2005). Recently, lactose intolerance has increased the demand...