Probiotics: Health benefits, food application, and colonization in the human gastrointestinal tract

Abstract

Probiotics have become increasingly popular over the past two decades due to the continuously expanding scientific evidence indicating their beneficial effects on human health. Therefore, they have been applied in the food industry to produce functional food, which plays a significant role in human health and reduces disease risk. However, maintaining the viability of probiotics and targeting the successful delivery to the gastrointestinal tract remain two challenging tasks in food applications. Specifically, this paper reviews the potentially beneficial properties of probiotics, highlighting the use and challenges of probiotics in food application and the associated health benefits. Of foremost importance, this paper also explores the potential underlying molecular mechanisms of the enhanced effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal epithelial cells, including a discussion on various surface adhesion‐related proteins on the probiotic cell surface that facilitate colonization.

LAB Antagonistic Activities and Their Significance in Food Biotechnology: Molecular Mechanisms, Food Targets, and Other Related Traits of Interest

“…It is essential for these probiotics to maintain their viability and metabolic functions throughout all stages of food processing, from production to consumption [5]. The regular consumption of probiotic foods, particularly lacto-fermented varieties, has been associated with positive effects on the immune system, reducing the risk of developing certain health conditions [6][7][8]. This improvement is attributed to continuous interactions between probiotic bacteria, which are defined as "live microorganisms that, when administered in sufficient quantities, provide health benefits to the host" [9], and the intestinal microbial composition, which enhances the host immune system.…”

“…While contributing to driving the bioprocesses essential for food fermentation, promoting gut health, and providing various health benefits, LAB exhibit a crucial probiotic trait by actively inhibiting the growth of both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in several food ecosystems [7,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] (Figure 1). of the earliest and most traditional biotechnological techniques for preserving various foodstuffs [1].…”

“…While contributing to driving the bioprocesses essential for food fermentation, promoting gut health, and providing various health benefits, LAB exhibit a crucial probiotic trait by actively inhibiting the growth of both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in several food ecosystems [7,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] (Figure 1). This antagonistic property holds great significance in the field of food preservation, as LAB contribute to the production of key metabolites, including organic acids, bacteriocins, reuterin, diacetyl, reutericyclin, acetoin, and hydrogen peroxide.…”