Importance of food in probiotic efficacy

Foods are carriers for the delivery of probiotics to the human body. In addition, foods help to buffer the probiotic through the gastrointestinal tract, regulate their colonization and contain other functional ingredients, such as bioactive components, which may interact with probiotics to alter their functionality and efficacy. The growth and survival of probiotics during gastric transit is affected by the physico-chemical properties of food carriers. Gastric acid, juices and bile tolerance, adherence to gastrointestinal epithelium and the acid production of probiotics are also affected by the food ingredients used in probiotic delivery. Same probiotic strains could vary in functional and technological properties in the presence of different food ingredients. Prebiotic food ingredients encourage the growth of probiotic bacteria. The appropriate combination of prebiotics and probiotics manifest higher potential for a synergistic effect. Originally, probiotic delivery was consistently associated with foods, particularly dairy foods. But nowadays, there is an increasing trend toward using probiotics in different food systems despite its original sources and even as nutraceuticals, such as in capsules. This changing trend in delivering probiotics may lead to a reduction in functional efficacy due to the exclusion of the potential synergistic effect of the food. Thus, selection of suitable food systems to deliver probiotics is a vital factor that should be considered in developing functional probiotic foods. This review focuses on information related to the effect of processed food products on functional efficacy of probiotics.     

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.     

日本益生菌、益生元市场与应用概况

为了大力推广益生菌和益生元,介绍了日本益生菌制品、益生元、灭活细胞粉及对它们的管理情况。其中,日本厚生劳动省批准了65种特定保健食品,允许使用了近20种菌株．同时,各种功能性低聚糖已广泛使用在400多种食品、保健食品以及宠物饲料中,并说明了除益生菌活菌体外,益生菌或肠道正常菌群的灭活细胞,在大量存在下也可和活菌体一样具有免疫增强作用和发挥益生元的功能的作用。     

Non-dairy probiotic food products: An emerging group of functional foods

ABSTRACT

The functional food sector has shown tremendous growth in recent years with the application of probiotic bacteria as “food additives”. The utilization of probiotic bacteria in food presents many challenges related to their growth, survival, viability, stability and functionality in food processing, storage and consumption as well as changes of sensory characteristics of probiotic foods. Although dairy foods are currently the most common food carrier to deliver probiotics, an increasing number of non-dairy food matrices exhibit potential for delivery of probiotics. This review provides more recent insight into the emergence of non-dairy probiotics products, the interactions between probiotics and different food matrices and the challenges in developing such products. Some of the technical issues are also reviewed and discussed. These issues include the efficacy of probiotic bacteria in non-chilled, low pH or high water activity foods; the potential loss of bacterial viability, additionally unwanted fermentation and changes of the sensory characteristics of food products which may result in poor microbiological quality and low acceptability to consumers.     

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.     

Functional foods as carriers for SYNBIO®, a probiotic bacteria combination

The popularity of functional foods continues to increase as consumers desire flavorful foods that will fulfil their health needs. Among these foods, probiotics may exert positive effects on the composition of gut microbiota and overall health. However, in order to be beneficial, the bacterial cultures have to remain live and active at the time of consumption. The aim of this study was to develop new probiotic food products, such as seasoned cheeses, salami, chocolate and ice-cream with a final probiotic concentration of approximately 10?CFU/daily dose of Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501? and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502? mixed 1:1 (SYNBIO?). The survival and viability of probiotics were determined during the foods shelf-life. The values of viable probiotic bacteria of all dairy and non-dairy foods were between 10? and 10?CFU/g of food at the end of the shelf-life and for some of them the values were maintained even after the expiry date. Based on the results of the current study, all the dairy ("Caciotta" cheese, "Pecorino" cheese, "Büscion" Swiss cheese and "Fiordilatte" ice-cream) and non-dairy ("Ciauscolo" salami, Larded salami, Swiss small salami, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, organic jam and chocolate mousse) food products studied would be excellent vehicles to deliver the probiotic health effects because of the high viability of probiotics during the shelf-life of foods and in some cases even after their expiry date.     

乳酸菌在燕麦基质中生长特性的研究

非乳益生菌食品已成为益生菌食品发展的重要趋势,以燕麦为基质的益生菌食品具有高膳食纤维、低脂肪和无乳糖不耐症等优点。文中研究了乳酸菌在燕麦基质中生长的可行性,并以瑞士乳杆菌(Lactobacillushelveticus)为研究对象,考察了基质的预处理和基质浓度等对乳酸菌生长的影响。研究结果表明,不同的乳酸菌在燕麦基质中的生长能力具有较大差别。利用富含多种营养物和酶的麦芽对燕麦成分进行适当的水解可以促进瑞士乳杆菌的生长。向燕麦糊(燕麦7%,质量分数)中添加1%(质量分数)的麦芽,在60℃水解30 min后,以燕麦为基质,37℃发酵4 h,瑞士乳杆菌生长可达到稳定期,菌体浓度可提高2个数量级,达到108 CFU/mL。发酵后的燕麦糊在4℃下保藏21 d后,活菌数可保持107 CFU/mL。     

Application of RBGR--a simple way for screening of oxygen tolerance in probiotic bacteria.

Oxygen toxicity is a major problem in the survival of probiotic bacteria in dairy foods. High levels of oxygen in the product are detrimental to the viability of these predominantly anaerobic bacteria. Screening probiotic bacteria for oxygen tolerance before their incorporation could ensure high cell counts in food products during storage. Reported techniques have focused only on qualitative estimations of oxygen tolerance in probiotic bacteria. To characterize the oxygen tolerance of a large number of organisms, a quantitative measurement is essential. For the first time, the oxygen tolerance of several probiotic strains was measured quantitatively using an index known as Relative Bacterial Growth Ratio (RBGR). The tolerance to oxygen varied between organisms, and this technique can therefore be applied for screening probiotic bacteria for oxygen tolerance.     

纳米塑料复合食品包装中的纳米成分及其迁移研究进展

在塑料食品包装中加入纳米材料可以实现很好的机械性、气体阻隔性或抗菌性等优良性能。然而在与食品 接触的过程中这些纳米材料也有可能迁移到食品中,从而对消费者的健康产生威胁,甚至对市场及消费者信心造成 负面影响。对纳米材料进行迁移研究是对其进行风险评估的重要一环,已经得到国内外学者的广泛关注。本文综述 了纳米塑料复合包装的种类、在食品包装中应用较多的纳米材料及其作用,并详细分析了食品包装中纳米材料向食 品或食品模拟物迁移的研究。结果表明：食品包装中纳米材料向食品或食品模拟释放的量较小,但到目前为止,关 于它们是否会以纳米形态释放出来仍然没有达成统一意见。另外,微波处理、塑料助剂的添加可以影响纳米材料的 释放。     

INHIBITORY ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM THAI FERMENTED FOOD AGAINST PANDEMIC STRAINS OF VIBRIO PARAHAEMOLYTICUS

Since 1996, Vibrio parahaemolyticus serotype O3:K6 and its clones have been reported to cause human infections worldwide. In Thailand, infections caused by these pandemic strains are still high. In order to control these infections, an attempt has been made to use probiotic bacteria. In this study, 327 strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from 22 types of fermented Thai foods. They were screened for probiotic properties. One isolate designated as PSU-LAB 71 strongly inhibited the pandemic strains of V. parahaemolyticus and also Vibrio cholerae. PSU-LAB71 was isolated from naturally fermented pork and was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum. The mechanism of its ability to inhibit V. parahaemolyticus was most likely caused by acid production. PSU-LAB71 showed high adhesion to an enterocyte-like Caco-2 cell line. This study highlighted the possibility of using PSU-LAB71 as a probiotic strain to control infections by pandemic V. parahaemolyticus.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Asian countries use many fermented foods containing lactic acid bacteria. This study describes a method to isolate potential probiotic bacteria from fermented foods that have inhibitory properties against pathogenic Vibrio species, especially pandemic strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus . This report may initiate other countries that face problems caused by this pathogen to isolate their local lactic acid bacteria that have the potential to act as probiotics to control infections.     

Probiotic foods: consumer perception and attitudes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception and the attitudes towards probiotic foods of the population in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four hundred and twenty (100.0%) people were interviewed in small-, medium- and large-sized supermarkets located in various parts of the city of Rio de Janeiro. One hundred and twenty-two (29.05%) people defined probiotic foods correctly. Ninety-one (21.67%) were unable to mention a single example of a probiotic food. The results of this study indicate the need for an elementary easy-to-understand educational programme using accessible language in order to fix the concepts related to these products.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

The Comparison of Food and Supplement as Probiotic Delivery Vehicles

Probiotics are live bacteria which have frequently been reported to be beneficial in preventing a wide range of diseases as well as playing a major role in treating the existing ailments. Thus far, a variety of probiotic products have been developed which can be categorized into two groups: probiotic foods and supplements. Both foods and supplements have been able to confer the health benefits claimed for them. However, it is not known which one can be clinically more efficient, and to the best of our knowledge, until now no research has been conducted to investigate this issue. The present review aims to discuss this matter, based on the evidence available in the literature. To do so, articles indexed in PubMed and ScienceDirect between 2000 and 2011 were reviewed. The articles included the clinical trials in which either foods or supplements were used to administer the probiotics to either patients suffering from different diseases or healthy subjects. Although both foods and supplements seem to have been efficient carriers for the beneficial bacteria, to generally promote public health in communities, probiotic foods appear to be preferred to probiotic supplements.     

Bacterial survival and adhesion for formulating new oral probiotic foods

Abstract

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits to the host. Traditionally, probiotic food research has heavily focused on the genera Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, along with their benefits for gut health. Recently with the identification of new probiotic strains specifically intended for oral health applications, the development of probiotic foods for oral health benefits has garnered interest, with a renewed focus on identifying new food formats for delivering probiotics. The development of novel oral probiotic foods is highly complex, as the composition of a food matrix dictates: (1) bacterial viability during production and shelf life and (2) how bacteria partition with components within a food matrix and subsequently adhere to oral cavity surfaces. At present, virtually no information is available on oral probiotic strains such as Streptococcus salivarius; specifically, how orally-derived strains survive under different food parameters. Furthermore, limited information exists on the partition behavior of probiotics with food components, governed by physico-chemical interactions and adhesion phenomena. This review aspires to examine this framework by providing a foundation with existing literature related to the common probiotic genera, in order to inform and drive future attempts of designing new oral probiotic food formats.     

Citrus flavonoid represses Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 and motility in S. Typhimurium LT2

Most of the current commercial probiotic strains have not been selected for specific applications, but rather on the basis of their technological potential for use in diverse applications. Therefore, by selecting them from appropriate sources, depending on the target population, it is likely that better performing strains may be identified. Few strains have been specifically selected for human neonates, where the applications of probiotics may have a great positive impact. Breast-milk constitutes an interesting source of potentially probiotic bifidobacteria for inclusion in infant formulas and foods targeted to both pre-term and full-term infants. In this study six Bifidobacterium strains isolated from breast-milk were phenotypically and genotypically characterised according to international guidelines for probiotics. In addition, different in vitro tests were used to assess the safety and probiotic potential of the strains. Although clinical data would be needed before drawing any conclusion on the probiotic properties of the strains, our results indicate that some of them may have probiotic potential for their inclusion in products targeting infants.     

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.     

The Beneficial Use of Cereal and Cereal Components in Probiotic Foods

Cereals and cereal components can be used as fermentation substrates for probiotic organisms imparting prebiotic effects. Consumer interest in healthy functional foods has resulted in the need for food products with versatile health-benefiting properties. The conventional choice for probiotic food applications has been dairy-based products, but whole grain-based probiotic functional foods have debuted in Japan and Europe. In the US, pro- and prebiotics are mainly marketed as dietary supplements, but are moving towards inclusion in the diet as mainstream foods. Cereal constituents, such as wheat bran-based ingredients fermented with probiotics, would enhance consumer health with the benefits of probiotics, bran fiber, and healthful bioactive components.     

Survival analysis methodology to predict the shelf-life of probiotic flavored yogurt

The feasibility of survival analysis methodology was used to determine the shelf-life of probiotic strawberry flavored yogurt supplemented with Bifidobacteirum animalis DN 173010 W was investigated. The quality parameters of probiotic yogurts were related to storage conditions which they are submitted. The consumers were shown sensitive to changes towards sensory characteristics introduced into the products. Using the survival analysis and considering 25% and 50% probability of consumer rejection, the shelf-life of the probiotic yogurt was estimated at 38 and 53 days, respectively. The findings of this research highlighted the feasibility this technique to determine the shelf-life of foods, in particular, functional foods, as probiotic yogurts.