Lactic acid bacteria in health and disease

Abstract

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which when administrated in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. The consumption of probiotics or probiotics-containing products is able to relieve clinical symptoms in patients with intestinal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and allergic diseases. Currently, various probiotic products are available in the market. Among these products, probiotic dairy products including pasteurized milk, fermented milks, cheeses, dairy beverages, dried products, ice-cream, and other dairy desserts account for the largest percentage of probiotic foods. Dairy products have been considered as an ideal food vehicle for delivering probiotic microorganisms to the human gastrointestinal tract. Other nondairy products including plant-based products such as cereals, fruits, and vegetables containing no cholesterol with low allergic reactions, and meat products are also being increasingly used for development of probiotic products. Probiotic microorganisms show variations in survival and growth ability in different food substrates due to different processing technologies and storage conditions. Prebiotics or plant components can be added to different types of probiotic products to improve the probiotic viability and physicochemical properties of the products. This chapter mainly provides information on the definition, the criteria of a good probiotic, and the beneficial effects upon probiotic administration, as well as presents an overview on the manufacturing technology of probiotic products, including methods of probiotic addition, effects of processing and storage conditions on probiotic viability, and functional evaluation of probiotic products.