Non-dairy probiotic products

There is evidence documenting the beneficial health effects of probiotic microorganisms. Also, many studies have reported that the best matrices to deliver probiotic are dairy fermented products. However, recently several raw materials have been extensively investigated to determine if they are suitable substrates to produce novel non-dairy probiotic microorganisms, and it has been found that traditional fermented foods may contain viable probiotic microorganisms. Numerous such examples can be found in the text. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate the utilization of probiotics in new and traditional non-dairy products with probiotic potential. It was found that while cereals have been extensively investigated to develop new probiotic foods; further research about the probiotic beneficial effects of traditional fermented products is needed.     

Non-dairy Based Probiotics: A Healthy Treat for Intestine

Dairy-based fermented products and yoghurts have been utilized as potential probiotic products since ancient times. However, recent upsurge in interest of consumers towards dairy alternatives has opened up new vistas for non-dairy probiotic research and development. Various matrices and substrates such as cereals, fruit juices, or mixture thereof are being utilized for delivering these beneficial microorganisms. Each matrix offers some advantages over the other. Vast knowledge available on a number of conventional fermented foods can also be utilized for future research in this area. The present review provides an insight on the recent research/developments in the field of non-dairy probiotic foods with particular reference to the foods consumed conventionally, in addition to their commercial availability and a way forward.     

Probiotics in fermented sausages

Probiotic foods receive market interest as health-promoting, functional foods. They have been introduced in a wide range of food industries. However, commercial application of probiotic microorganisms in fermented sausages is not common yet. There are both advantages and disadvantages connected to fermented meat matrices. They are adequate for the carriage of probiotic bacteria since they are usually not or only mildly heated and may promote the survival of probiotic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. In contrast, bacterial viability may be reduced due to the high content in curing salt and the low water activity and pH. Therefore, results are expected to be strain-dependent. Up till now, several approaches have been followed but most results are too preliminary to be able to evaluate the effect of probiotic fermented meats on human health. Candidate probiotic strains have been obtained through screening for technological requirements among bacteria that are naturally present in the meat or that originate from meat starter cultures. Alternatively, existing probiotic bacteria have been applied in meat products. Finally, the evaluation of the end-products needs to deal with both health effects and technological characteristics, for instance through human intervention studies and taste panels, respectively.     

Probiotic fermented milks: Present and future

Milk and dairy products have been part of human nutrition since ancient times, constituting an important part of a balanced diet. Fermented dairy products containing living micro-organisms have traditionally been used to restore gut health, being among the pioneers in functional foods. Such utilisation of live micro-organisms forms the basis of the probiotic concept, which constitutes a fast growing market for the development of new products. In this article, we review the current status of fermented milk as a vehicle for delivery of beneficial bacteria and look into future new directions and challenges.     

Probiotic Fermented Sausage: Viability of Probiotic Microorganisms and Sensory Characteristics

Probiotics are from functional foods that bring health benefits for humans. Nowadays, a major development in functional foods is related to food containing probiotic cultures, mainly lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria. Probiotics must be alive and ingested in sufficient amounts to exert the positive effects on the health and the well-being of the host. Therefore, viability of probiotic products (the minimum viable probiotic cells in each gram or milliliter of product till the time of consumption) is their most important characteristic. However, these organisms often show poor viability in fermented products due to their detrimental conditions. Today, the variety of fermented meat products available around the world is nearly equal to that of cheese. With meat products, raw fermented sausages could constitute an appropriate vehicle for such microorganisms into the human gastrointestinal tract. In present article, the viability of probiotic microorganisms in fermented sausage, the main factors affect their viability, and the sensorial characteristics of final product are discussed.     

Short communication: Survival of the characteristic microbiota in probiotic fermented camel,cow, goat,and sheep milks during refrigerated storage

The objective of this study was to monitor the viability during storage of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 (A), Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 (B), and Streptococcus thermophilus CHCC 742/2130 (T) in probiotic cultured dairy foods made from pasteurized camel, cow, goat, and sheep milks fermented by an ABT-type culture. The products manufactured were stored at 4°C for 42 d. Microbiological analyses were performed at weekly intervals. Streptococcus thermophilus CHCC 742/2130 was the most numerous culture component in all 4 products both at the beginning and at the end of storage. The viable counts of streptococci showed no significant decline in fermented camel milk throughout the entire storage period. The initial numbers of Lb. acidophilus LA-5 were over 2 orders of magnitude lower than those of Strep. thermophilus CHCC 742/2130. With the progress of time, a slow and constant decrease was observed in lactobacilli counts; however, the final viability percentages of this organism did not differ significantly in the probiotic fermented milks tested. The cultured dairy foods made from cow, sheep, and goat milks had comparable B. animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 counts on d 0, exceeding by approximately 0.5 log₁₀ cycle those in the camel milk-based product. No significant losses occurred in viability of bifidobacteria in fermented camel, cow, and sheep milks during 6 wk of refrigerated storage. In conclusion, all 4 varieties of milk proved to be suitable raw materials for the manufacture of ABT-type fermented dairy products that were microbiologically safe and beneficial for human consumption. It was suggested that milk from small ruminants be increasingly used to produce probiotic fermented dairy foods. The development of camel milk-based probiotic cultured milks appears to be even more promising because new markets could thus be conquered. It must be emphasized, however, that further microbiological and sensory studies, technology development activities, and market research are needed before such food products can be successfully commercialized.     

Functional cultures and health benefits

A number of health benefits have been claimed for probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium spp., and L. casei. These benefits include antimutagenic effects, anticarcinogenic properties, improvement in lactose metabolism, reduction in serum cholesterol, and immune system stimulation. Because of the potential health benefits, these organisms are increasingly being incorporated into dairy foods, particularly yoghurt. In addition to yoghurt, fermented functional foods with health benefits based on bioactive peptides released by probiotic organisms, including Evolus^® and Calpis^®, have been introduced in the market. To maximize effectiveness of bifidus products, prebiotics are used in probiotic foods. Synbiotics are products that contain both prebiotics and probiotics.     

乳制品中益生菌存活力的影响因素与提高方法

提高乳制品中益生菌的存活力是目前益生菌乳制品研制与开发的技术关键。本文根据益生菌的生理特性并结合国内外益生菌乳制品研究开发进展,探讨了菌种(株)、菌种(株)之间的相互关系、营养基质、生产工艺、氧及氧化还原电位等因素对乳制品中益生菌存活力的影响,提出了相应的改进方法与技术措施,以期为进一步发展益生菌乳制品提供科学依据。     

Meat as a functional food with special reference to probiotic sausages

Consumers believe that foods are associated directly to their health. Today foods are not only used to satisfy our hunger but also to provide indispensible nutrients for humans and these nutrients having the health benefits regarding in controlling the diseases. The market for functional foods has seen a sharp rise in demand in the recent years. This has driven researchers to multiply their efforts in producing functional meat products also. Feed manipulation and post-mortem modification of meat coupled with enrichment of bioactive compounds are gaining importance. This review discusses the candidate ingredients and strategies, utilized in crafting such functional meat products, and the notable developments and commercial successes in functional meat industry. Dry fermented sausages meet the conditions required to carry viable probiotic microbes. This article enlists various microorganisms that are being commercially used in functional food products and potential bacteria for probiotic sausage production.     

Strategies to develop healthier processed cheeses: Reduction of sodium and fat contents and use of prebiotics

Dairy industry has sought strategies for obtaining products that meet new market demands, focusing on foods of higher nutritional quality to be better options for consumers. In this competitive scenario, dairy foods have been developed to provide functional components and/or meet specific dietary needs, such as those observed in the setting of obesity and hypertension. Processed cheese, which originally has high-sodium and fat contents in its formulation, may also undergo a reformulation. In addition, nowadays, the addition of prebiotic ingredients into dairy products is a common technological practice to not only enhance their beneficial health effects but also to improve the final texture, replace fat components, and increase the fiber content. In the present review, we provide the state-of-the-art of the effects of fat and salt reduction and the positive impacts of adding prebiotics on the functional properties and sensory acceptance of processed cheeses.     

Invited review: Potential effects of short- and long-term intake of fermented dairy products on prevention and control of type 2 diabetes mellitus

The consumption of fermented dairy products has been linked with lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but studies have yet to demonstrate a definite association. We evaluated evidence from a cross-sectional analysis of longitudinal studies and human and animal experimental trials to further understand the current knowledge linking short- and long-term consumption of fermented dairy products to T2DM. Most cohort studies revealed a protective effect of fermented dairy products on T2DM development, with yogurt noted as the most consistent food item protecting against the disease. Human experimental trials and animal studies revealed improvements in biomarkers of glycemic control with short-term monitored intake of fermented dairy products from various sources. Therefore, fermented dairy products may offer protection against the development and may have therapeutic benefits for individuals with T2DM. This could influence on dietary recommendations and the development of functional foods aiming to minimize the risk of T2DM.     

Probiotic Dairy Products as Functional Foods

Abstract: Foods that affect specific functions or systems in the human body, providing health benefits beyond energy and nutrients—functional foods—have experienced rapid market growth in recent years. This growth is fueled by technological innovations, development of new products, and the increasing number of health‐conscious consumers interested in products that improve life quality. Since the global market of functional foods is increasing annually, food product development is a key research priority and a challenge for both the industry and science sectors. Probiotics show considerable promise for the expansion of the dairy industry, especially in such specific sectors as yogurts, cheeses, beverages, ice creams, and other desserts. This article presents an overview of functional foods and strategies for their development, with particular attention to probiotic dairy products. Moreover, special attention is paid to the sensory properties of such products to provide important information about their most desirable attributes.     

Probiotic potentials of cereal-based beverages

Probiotics offer remarkable potential for the prevention and management of various infective and noninfective disorders. They are reported to play key roles in the suppression of gastrointestinal infections, antimicrobial activity, improvement in lactose metabolism, reduction in serum cholesterol, immune system stimulation, antimutagenic properties, anticarcinogenic properties, anti-diarrheal properties, and improvement in inflammatory bowel disease. Although probiotic foods are classically confined to beverages and cheese, containing live organisms of the lactic acid bacteria family, such health-promoting foods are traditionally dairy-based, comprising milk and its fermented products. However, recent research focuses on the probiotic potentials of fermented cereal-based beverages which are especially consumed in developing countries characterized by low nutritional security and high incidence of gut pathogen infections. Moreover, lactose intolerance and cholesterol content associated with dairy products, coupled with the vegetarian tendencies of diverse populations in the third world, tend to enforce the recent recourse to nondairy beverages. Probiotic microorganisms are mostly of human or animal origin; however, strains recognized as probiotics are also found in nondairy fermented substrates. This review examines the potentials of some traditional cereal-based beverages to serve as probiotic foods, their microbial and functional properties, as well as their process optimization and storage for enhanced utilization.     

Encapsulation of probiotic living cells: From laboratory scale to industrial applications

In the recent past, there has been a rising interest in producing functional foods containing encapsulated probiotic bacteria. According to their perceived health benefits, probiotics have been incorporated into a range of dairy products but the major current challenge is to market new probiotic foods. In the research sector, many studies have been reported using dairy products like cheese, yogurt and ice cream as food carrier, and non-dairy products like meat, fruits, cereals, chocolate, etc. However, in the commercial sector only few products containing encapsulated probiotic cells can be found. Nutraceuticals are another important vector for probiotics already developed by several companies in a capsule or a tablet form. The review compiles the technologies used to encapsulate the cells in order to keep them alive and the food matrices used in the research and commercial sector for delivery to the consumer.     

Probiotic potential and biochemical and technological properties of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis strains isolated from raw milk and kefir grains

Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis is one of the most important starter bacteria used in dairy technology and it is of great economic importance because of its use in the production of dairy products, including cheese, butter, cream, and fermented milks. Numerous studies have evaluated the biochemical and probiotic properties of lactococci; however, limited studies on the probiotic characteristics of lactococci were conducted using strains originating from raw milk and dairy products. Characterizing the probiotic properties of strains isolated from raw milk and fermented milk products is important in terms of selecting starter culture strains for the production of functional dairy products. In this study, biochemical properties (including antibiotic sensitivity, lipolytic activity, amino acid decarboxylation, antioxidant activity) and probiotic properties (including antimicrobial activity, growth in the presence of bile salts, bile salts deconjugation, and hydrophobicity) of 14 Lactococcus lactis strains isolated from raw milk and kefir grains were investigated. Strains originating from kefir grains had better characteristics in terms of antimicrobial activity and bile salt deconjugation, whereas strains from raw milk had better hydrophobicity and antioxidant activity characteristics. None of the strains were able to grow in the presence of bile salt and did not show amino acid decarboxylation or lipolytic activities. Biochemical and probiotic properties of L. lactis strains varied depending on the strain and some of these strains could be used as functional cultures depending on their properties. However, these strains did not possess all of the properties required to meet the definition of a probiotic.     

Chilled Milk-based Desserts as Emerging Probiotic and Prebiotic Products

Nowadays, food companies are endeavoring to differentiate their products through creative segmentation and positioning strategies based on superior functionality and quality. Some kinds of dairy desserts have shown a great market potential, as a function of consumers interested in healthier and functional products with fine taste and mouthfeel. In this context, chilled dairy desserts are emerging as attractive options for the incorporation of probiotic cultures and prebiotic ingredients, as seen in the previous launches from the food industry, as well as in the growing number of scientific studies dealing with this subject published in the last years. The main aspects involved in the development of probiotic and/or prebiotic dairy desserts for storage under refrigerated conditions are presented in this review.     

Milk, milk products, and disease free health: an updated overview

The cow and its milk have been held sacred in the world since the dawn of human civilization. Indian ancient Vedic texts describe the virtues of milk and dairy products, as is authenticated by modern scientific principles and proofs. Therefore, milk has been considered as one of the most natural and highly nutritive part of a daily balanced diet. Currently, the integration of advanced scientific knowledge with traditional information is gaining incredible momentum toward developing the concept of potential therapeutic foods. Furthermore, new advances toward understanding the therapeutic roles of milk and milk products have also given a new impetus for unraveling the age old secrets of milk. At present, the best-known examples of therapeutic foods are fermented milk products containing health promoting probiotic bacteria. In the present article, we have tried to review the various aspects of the therapeutic nature of milk and fermented dairy products in a highly up-dated manner, and offer an in-depth insight into the development of targeted therapeutic future foods as per the requirements of consumers.     

Progress in genomics, metabolism and biotechnology of bifidobacteria

Members of the genus Bifidobacterium were first described over a century ago and were quickly associated with a healthy intestinal tract due to their numerical dominance in breast-fed babies as compared to bottle-fed infants. Health benefits elicited by bifidobacteria to its host, as supported by clinical trials, have led to their wide application as probiotic components of health-promoting foods, especially in fermented dairy products. However, the relative paucity of genetic tools available for bifidobacteria has impeded development of a comprehensive molecular understanding of this genus. In this review we present a summary of current knowledge on bifidobacterial metabolism, classification, physiology and genetics and outline the currently available methods for genetically accessing and manipulating the genus.     

发酵乳的最新进展

综述了发酵乳在科学、枝术和市场方面最新进展。介绍了在分子水平和菌株水平的乳酸菌和益生菌的菌种鉴定、乳酸菌和新益生菌株的安全性、乳酸菌胞外多糖、减少发酵乳生产过程中黏度降低的因素，以及乳酸菌和益生菌的功能保健作用。根据近年来消费者对酸奶的温和味道、香气和质地更高的要求，叙述了酸奶和其他发酵乳新产品开发的进展。     

Fermented Milks and Milk Products as Functional Foods—A Review

Fermented foods and beverages possess various nutritional and therapeutic properties. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a major role in determining the positive health effects of fermented milks and related products. The L. acidophilus and Bifidobacteria spp are known for their use in probiotic dairy foods. Cultured products sold with any claim of health benefits should meet the criteria of suggested minimum number of more than 10⁶ cfu/g at the time of consumption. Yoghurt is redefined as a probiotic carrier food. Several food powders like yoghurt powder and curd (dahi) powder are manufactured taking into consideration the number of organisms surviving in the product after drying. Such foods, beverages and powders are highly acceptable to consumers because of their flavor and aroma and high nutritive value. Antitumor activity is associated with the cell wall of starter bacteria and so the activity remains even after drying. Other health benefits of fermented milks include prevention of gastrointestinal infections, reduction of serum cholesterol levels and antimutagenic activity. The fermented products are recommended for consumption by lactose intolerant individuals and patients suffering from atherosclerosis. The formulation of fermented dietetic preparations and special products is an expanding research area. The health benefits, the technology of production of fermented milks and the kinetics of lactic acid fermentation in dairy products are reviewed here.