Gumenku L, Erukainure OL, Islam MS, Olaniran AO. Prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic properties of fermented corn starch and their application in type 2 diabetes management. World J Diabetes 2025; 16(8): 107775 [DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i8.107775]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Md Shahidul Islam, PhD, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Road, Chiltern Hills, Durban 4000, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. islamd@ukzn.ac.za
Research Domain of This Article
Food Science & Technology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Lemohang Gumenku, Ochuko Lucky Erukainure, Ademola O Olaniran, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Lemohang Gumenku, Ochuko Lucky Erukainure, Md Shahidul Islam, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Co-corresponding authors: Md Shahidul Islam and Ademola O Olaniran.
Author contributions: Gumenku L and Erukainure OL conceptualized the work; Islam MS and Olaniran AO made intellectual contributions by revising and editing the manuscript before submission, supervised the project, and made equal contributions as co-corresponding authors. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by the Research Office, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban; and an Incentive Grant from the National Research Foundation, Pretoria, South Africa, No. 145943.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Islam MS reports grants from The University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, and grants from the National Research Foundation, Pretoria, South Africa, during the conduct of the study.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Md Shahidul Islam, PhD, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Road, Chiltern Hills, Durban 4000, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. islamd@ukzn.ac.za
Received: April 1, 2025 Revised: May 17, 2025 Accepted: June 23, 2025 Published online: August 15, 2025 Processing time: 138 Days and 17.1 Hours
Abstract
Fermented corn starch has emerged as a promising functional food due to its triad of gut biotics, prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic properties, which present significant potential for the management of type 2 diabetes through gut microbiota modulation. During fermentation, microbial activity alters the starch matrix, enhancing the production of bioactive compounds such as resistant starch, isomalto-oligosaccharides, and resistant dextrin, which improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and support glycemic control. Additionally, fermented corn starch harbors beneficial microbial strains including Lactiplantibacillus fermentum, Bifidobacterium breve, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which reinforce gut barrier integrity, stimulate incretin secretion, and suppress systemic inflammation. Postbiotic metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, exopolysaccharides, and bacteriocins further contribute to glucose homeostasis through immune modulation and gut hormone regulation. Despite its promise, the clinical translation of fermented corn starch is limited by safety concerns (e.g., contamination with pathogens or mycotoxins), lack of standardized fermentation protocols, and a scarcity of targeted studies. This review synthesizes current evidence on the antidiabetic potential of fermented corn starch, advocating for its integration into precision nutrition approaches and supporting further research to address safety and standardization challenges in functional food development.
Core Tip: Prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic properties of fermented corn starch offer promising therapeutic applications in the management of type 2 diabetes. By investigating the bioactive compounds and their influence on gut microbiota composition, insulin sensitivity, and glucose homeostasis, this review highlights the potential of these fermented products to improve metabolic health. Fermented corn starch could serve as a functional food to complement existing diabetes management strategies, offering novel microbiome-based interventions.
