Postbiotic production: harnessing the power of microbial metabolites for health applications

Abstract

Postbiotics, which are bioactive substances derived from the metabolic processes of beneficial microbes, have received considerable attention in the field of microbiome science in recent years, presenting a promising path for exploration and innovation. This comprehensive analysis looks into the multidimensional terrain of postbiotic production, including an extensive examination of diverse postbiotic classes, revealing their sophisticated mechanisms of action and highlighting future applications that might significantly affect human health. The authors thoroughly investigate the various mechanisms that support postbiotic production, ranging from conventional fermentation procedures to cutting-edge enzyme conversion and synthetic biology approaches. The review, as an acknowledgment of the field’s developing nature, not only highlights current achievements but also navigates through the problems inherent in postbiotic production. In order to successfully include postbiotics in therapeutic interventions and the production of functional food ingredients, emphasis is given to critical elements, including improving yields, bolstering stability, and assuring safety. The knowledge presented herein sheds light on the expanding field of postbiotics and their potential to revolutionize the development of novel therapeutics and functional food ingredients.

Does “all disease begin in the gut”? The gut-organ cross talk in the microbiome

“…For instance, formulations enriched with probiotics or prebiotics have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting the growth of beneficial skin bacteria, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis , while concurrently suppressing the proliferation of pathogenic species like Staphylococcus aureus (Di Lodovico et al 2020 ). Additionally, postbiotics, including metabolic byproducts of probiotic bacteria, exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, contributing to overall skin health enhancement (Prajapati et al 2023 ). Furthermore, emerging therapeutic modalities such as bacteriophage therapy hold promise in selectively targeting and eradicating pathogenic bacteria in the skin microbiome, providing novel avenues for managing skin disorders.…”

Roles of microbiota in pancreatic cancer development and treatment

“…However, research on postbiotics in PDAC is still evolving and their clinical use still faces several challenges, including the limited understanding of their mechanisms of action, as well as the need for standardization within the clinical setting. 139 …”

The Improvement and Related Mechanism of Microecologics on the Sports Performance and Post-Exercise Recovery of Athletes: A Narrative Review

“…In other words, postbiotics encompass not only complete inactivated microorganisms (excluding live microorganisms) but also structural fragments of microorganisms. With the continuous deepening of research, metabolic and secreted products produced by microbes during growth and fermentation, such as SCFAs, secondary bile acids, exopolysaccharides (EPS), and other substances can also be classified as postbiotics [ 54 , 55 ]. For instance, the administration of heat-killed Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TWK10 to healthy adults for 6 weeks significantly enhanced sports performance, reduced fatigue-related features, and increased muscle mass proportion [ 5 ].…”