Exploring the microbiome present in fermented indigenous African foods and their potential impact on human health

Background: Although there are many ways to maximise the benefits of the microbiome for one's health, one of the most cost-effective ways is to consume food rich in beneficial microbes. The great diversity of microorganisms produced in food fermentation plays a pivotal role in enhancing human health. Recent studies have explored how consuming indigenous African fermented foods can provide an alternative, less expensive and convenient way of introducing microbes to the gastrointestinal. Objectives: This review aimed to identify the microbes in indigenous African fermented foods. The study further sought to systematically evaluate the prospective effects of such microbes on human health. Material and methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify and assess the microbes in African fermented foods. A comprehensive literature search was done using various scientific databases, which include PubMed, Google Scholar, and Medline. The review was conducted and reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A total of 31 620 articles were identified, resulting in 15 234 being screened off based on context and duplications. The full text of 224 articles was then retrieved for further assessment, of which 200 of them were excluded. A total of 24 intervention studies were included in the scoping review, The review was conducted between August and December 2023. Findings: The review outcomes of this study were any health-related effects that were revealed in the intervention studies conducted using indigenous African fermented foods. Twenty-four intervention studies were included in this review. The studies extracted from the literature used widely available African foods. Several Lactic Acid Bacteria stains were identified, which included, among others, L fermentum, L. Brevis, L. delbrueckii subsp Limos lactobacillus fermentum, Pedicoccus species and Leuconostoc species. The microbe stains decreased gut dysbiosis, pathogenic infection and lactose intolerance among the subjects. The production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) and folate acid in the intestinal tract was increased. However, the safety of some of the microbes produced in some of the fermented African foods needs to be assessed. Conclusion: The microbes identified in the indigenous African fermented foods have an antibacterial effect and a high adherence rate in the intestinal tract. Several other health benefits of microbes from such foods include redressing gut dysbiosis, vitamin synthesis, enhanced nutrient digestion and antibiotic resistance.