Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".[1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli
may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of
fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.
Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition pro ("for") and the Greek adjective βιωτικός (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun βίος (bios, "life").[2]
At the start of the 20th century, probiotics were thought to
beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial
balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing bacteria.[3]
Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented
including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases,[4] prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhea,[5] urogenital infections,[6] and atopic diseases.[7]
To date, the European Food Safety Authority has rejected most claims that are made about probiotic products, saying they are unproven.[8]
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The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) comprise a clade of Gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally non-sporulating, non-respiring rod or cocci that are associated by their common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bacteria, usually found in decomposing plants and lactic products, produce lactic acid as the major metabolic end-product of carbohydrate fermentation. This trait has, throughout history, linked LAB with food fermentations, as acidification inhibits the growth of spoilage agents. Proteinaceous bacteriocins are produced by several LAB strains and provide an additional hurdle for spoilage and pathogenic
microorganisms. Furthermore, lactic acid and other metabolic products
contribute to the organoleptic and textural profile of a food item. The
industrial importance of the LAB is further evinced by their generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, due to their ubiquitous appearance in food and their contribution to the healthy microflora of human mucosal surfaces. The genera that comprise the LAB are at its core Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus as well as the more peripheral Aerococcus, Carnobacterium, Enterococcus, Oenococcus, Sporolactobacillus, Tetragenococcus, Vagococcus, and Weisella; these belong to the order Lactobacillales.
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Bifidobacterium is a genus of Gram-positive, non-motile, often branched anaerobic bacteria. They are ubiquitous, endosymbiotic inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract, vagina[1][2] and mouth (B. dentium) of mammals and other animals. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the colon flora in mammals. Some bifidobacteria are used as probiotics.
Before the 1960s, Bifidobacterium species were collectively referred to as "Lactobacillus bifidus".
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MutaflorMutaflor is a probiotic consisting of a viable non-pathogenic bacteria strain named Escherichia coli Nissle 1917.[1] "The Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917-designated DSM 6601 in the German Collection for Microorganisms in Brauschweig is one of the best-examined and therapeutically relevant bacterial strains worldwide" as claimed by the manufacturer[2]
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Actimel
Standard Actimel (excludes variations such as Actimel Light) contains:
- Milk (fresh/powdered)
- Sugar (sucrose)
- Live Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 probiotic strain, 10 000 million per 100 mL bottle[1]
- Live yoghurt cultures
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus (until 1984 known as Lactobacillus bulgaricus) is one of several bacteria used for the production of yoghurt. It is also found in other naturally fermented products. First identified in 1905 by the Bulgarian doctor Stamen Grigorov, the bacterium feeds on lactose to produce lactic acid, which is used to preserve milk.
It is a Gram-positive
rod that may appear long and filamentous. It is also non-motile, and it
does not form spores. This bacterium is regarded as aciduric or
acidophilic, since it requires a low pH (around 5.4-4.6) to grow
effectively. The bacterium has complex nutritional requirements,
including the inability to ferment any sugar except lactose.
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Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus (common name Streptococcus thermophilus) is a Gram-positive bacteria and a homofermentative facultative anaerobe, of the viridans group.[1] It tests negative for cytochrome, oxidase and catalase, and positive for alpha-hemolytic activity.[1] It is non-motile and does not form endospores.[1]
It is also classified as a lactic acid bacterium.[2] S. thermophilus is found in fermented milk products. It is not a probiotic (it does not survive the stomach in healthy humans) and is generally used in the production of yogurt,[3] alongside Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The two species are synergistic, and S. thermophilus probably provides L. bulgaricus with folic acid and formic acid which it uses for purine synthesis
