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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Encapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria in Biopolymeric System

Encapsulation of probiotic bacteria is generally used to enhance the viability during processing, and also for the target delivery in gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics are used with the fermented dairy products, pharmaceutical products, and health supplements. They play a great role in maintaining human health. The survival of these bacteria in the human gastrointestinal system is questionable. In order to protect the viability of the probiotic bacteria, several types of biopolymers such as alginate, chitosan, gelatin, whey protein isolate, cellulose derivatives are used for encapsulation and several methods of encapsulation such as spray drying, extrusion, emulsion have been reported. This review focuses on the method of encapsulation and the use of different biopolymeric system for encapsulation of probiotics.     

Review Article: Technological Aspects of Prebiotics in Probiotic Fermented Milks

Prebiotics are food components that exert beneficial effects on health of the host, associated with modulation of the intestinal flora via stimulating the growth and/or activity of the probiotics. One of the recommended ways to maintain high viable numbers of probiotic bacteria in the intestine as well as in the probiotic fermented milk products until the time of consumption is via the use of prebiotics. These compounds can also affect sensory profile, physicochemical and rheological characteristics, and economic properties of probiotic fermented milk products. In this article, technological aspects of prebiotics (viability of probiotics in the product as well as the physicochemical, rheological, sensory, and economic characteristics of product) in probiotic fermented milks are reviewed.     

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.     

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.     

益生菌在改善阿尔茨海默病中的研究进展

阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer’s disease,AD）是目前世界上患者数量多、影响范围广的一种神经退行性疾病,其致病机理至今仍未完全解析。大量研究表明肠道菌群可通过肠-脑轴调节机体大脑的发育与健康。益生菌是一类对人体有益的、活的微生物,对维持肠道微生态平衡具有重要的意义。近年来,益生菌及其代谢产物或益生菌发酵食品在改善AD等神经退行性疾病方面受到了极大的关注。本文综述了近5 年来国内外利用单种、多种益生菌、益生菌发酵食品、益生菌与其他药物联合用于改善AD的研究进展,并阐述了相关作用机制和存在的问题,以期为益生菌用于预防和治疗AD提供新的思路。     

Supplementation of Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris Algae into Probiotic Fermented Milks

Viability of probiotic bacteria during the production and storage of fermented milks is the most important topic of discussion in the dairy industry. Addition of microalgae into milk for the production of fermented milk in order to enhance the viability of probiotics has been the subject of recent research. Spirulina and Chlorella are the most widely noted microalgae for fermented milks. They affect not only the viability of probiotics in final product but also the sensory attributes of them. Incorporation of microalgae into probiotic fermented milks along with enhancing the viability of probiotics would increase their functional characteristic. This is because they contain a wide range of nutrients and nutraceuticals and are considered as “functional food.” This article reviews the effects of supplementation of Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris into probiotic fermented milks on their different quality characteristics.     

Probiotic fermentation of plant based products: possibilities and opportunities

Functional foods are claimed to have several health-specific advantages. In addition to their basic nutritive value, they contain a proper balance of ingredients which help in the prevention and treatment of illnesses and diseases. Within this category, products containing lactic acid bacteria or probiotics are increasingly gaining importance. The recognition of the beneficial effects of dairy products containing probiotics has been well established. The allergy to dairy products, lactose intolerance, and cholesterol content are the major drawbacks related to the use of fermented dairy products for a large percentage of consumers. Modern consumers are increasingly interested in their personal health, and expect the food that they eat to be healthy or even capable of preventing illness. Because of this, probiotic food products made out of fermentation of cereals and fruits and vegetables is receiving attention from the scientific world as well as consumers and constitutes the major part of this review. The use of mathematical models for the probiotic fermentation will help in reducing the time and effort involved in the optimization of the probiotic fermentation process. We have tried to summarize the developments in the use of mathematical models for probiotic fermentation. Future technological prospects exist in innovations which represent solutions for the stability and viability problems of probiotics in new food environments. Current research on novel probiotic formulations and microencapsulation technologies exploiting biological carrier and barrier materials has also been discussed.     

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.     

Incorporation of Propionibacteria in Fermented Milks as a Probiotic

Propionibacteria are mainly found in dairy products and fermented milks but are found in other foods as well. Dairy propionibacteria have recently shown to exert potential probiotic activities such as production of propionic acid, vitamins, bacteriocins, essential enzymes, and other vital metabolites. Furthermore, stimulating the immune system and lowering the blood cholesterol level are some of their favorable effects. They have a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities, inhibiting the growth of gram-positive and some gram-negative bacteria, as well as some yeasts and molds. At industrial scale, they are used in cheese making, especially Swiss (hard) cheeses, as dominant starter cultures. There is a rising trend to use propionibacteria in fermented milks as probiotic. The current paper reviews the characteristics of propionibacteria related to their use in fermented milks either as starter culture or probiotic, methods for the enumeration of propionibacteria, and their functional (in vivo) efficiency.     

乳酸菌对发酵肉制品抑菌作用及风味特征的影响研究进展

发酵肉制品因生产周期较长、营养物质丰富,极易受到微生物的污染,从而影响产品品质并对人体健康带来不利的影响。由于消费者对发酵肉制品风味以及安全性的关注日益增加,因此对肉制品的安全性以及风味特征的研究非常重要。乳酸菌是最早从发酵肉制品中分离出来的微生物,是传统发酵肉制品中重要的优势菌群,与产品品质密切相关。在发酵肉制品中,乳酸菌不仅可以产生具有抑菌作用的物质抑制有害微生物生长,提高肉制品的安全性;还可以通过影响碳水化合物代谢、蛋白质以及脂质的分解氧化,从而改善发酵肉制品的风味。本文主要从乳酸菌影响发酵肉制品中有害微生物的生长、提高产品安全性及其对风味形成的影响方面进行综述,以期为今后发酵肉制品的研究提供新思路。     

New strategies for the development of innovative fermented meat products: a review regarding the incorporation of probiotics and dietary fibers

Over the last decades, consumer´s preference for and their attention to food products presented as healthy and with favorable nutritional information has been significantly increased. In this line, both the addition of dietary fiber and the incorporation of probiotic strains in the elaboration of fermented meat products has been established as a useful tool for the development of healthy products. Thus, the aim of this review is to present an overview of the studies involving fermented meat products with added dietary fiber and probiotic microorganisms, and also, to discuss about some of the challenges regarding the reformulation of this innovative product category.     

功能性微生物在发酵肉制品中的应用研究进展

发酵肉是一种传统肉制品,具有特殊的风味,营养丰富,保质期长,提高了肉类的经济价值,促进了肉制品行业的发展,但发酵肉制品也存在安全隐患,如硝胺、生物胺、有害微生物残留超标等问题。将微生物应用到发酵肉制品生产过程中可以减少有害物质的产生和积累,并且能和有害微生物产生竞争;许多微生物可以产生促进蛋白质和脂肪分解的酶类,为产品风味的产生做出贡献。另外,微生物可以赋予产品功能特性,提高其营养价值。本文主要介绍国内外发酵肉制品的种类、用于生产发酵肉制品的功能性微生物种类及其功能特性、微生物的抑菌作用机理、降解生物胺作用机理及促进风味形成机理。     

Probiotic Fermented Sausages: Myth or Reality?

Experts view the development of functional foods as an opportunity for innovation for the meat industry in line with consumers’ concerns on food nutrition, well being and food safety. The main microbiota of fermented sausages consists of lactobacilli, which suggests that properly characterized strains could be selected as starter cultures. The selection of strains from human origin was considered in order to promote their survival in the host. Lactobacillus rhamnosus CTC1679 dominated during the ripening process and temporarily colonized the gastrointestinal tract of healthy volunteers, confirming that this strain could be delivered as a potential probiotic in fermented sausages.     

益生菌发酵乳低温酸性双重胁迫致益生菌损伤 机制的研究进展

益生菌是一类对宿主有益的活性微生物,是定植于人体肠道、生殖系统内,能产生确切健康功效从而改善宿主微生态平衡、发挥有益作用的活性有益微生物的总称。近年,有关益生菌发酵乳中低温酸性双胁迫致益生菌的损伤,发酵乳中益生菌活性的保护,以及组学技术推动下的菌株损伤相关代谢研究取得了一定进展。本文综述了益生菌低温酸性双胁迫下损伤应激和保护机制、菌株特性对发酵乳风味和质量的影响及益生菌发酵乳冷藏过程低温酸性双重胁迫下菌体活性的保护策略,为研究影响益生菌发酵乳中益生菌存活能力、菌体细胞膜特性及代谢酶活性的因素,明确益生菌发酵乳基质中益生菌低温酸性双胁迫损伤的分子机制,建立益生菌发酵乳加工和贮藏过程中益生菌的保护策略提供参考,也为未来改善益生菌发酵乳的功效和品质提供了科学依据。     

Invited review: Potential antiobesity effect of fermented dairy products

The growing prevalence of obesity affects millions of people around the world and has gained increased attention over the years because it is associated with the development of other chronic degenerative diseases. Different organizations recommend lifestyle changes to treat obesity; nevertheless, other strategies in addition to lifestyle changes have recently been suggested. One of these strategies is the use of probiotics in fermented dairy products; however, a need exists to review the different studies available related to the potential antiobesity effect of these products. Because probiotic fermented dairy products that support weight management are not available in the market, there is a great opportunity for the development of functional dairy products with new lactic acid bacteria that may present this added health benefit. Thus, the purpose of this overview is to highlight the importance of probiotic fermented dairy products as potential antiobesogenic functional foods and present in vitro and in vivo studies required before this kind of product may be introduced to the market. Overall, most studies attributed the antiobesity effect of fermented dairy foods to the probiotic strains present; however, bioactive peptides released during milk fermentation may also be responsible for this effect.     

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.