PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS. A REVIEW ON THE SUBJECT

Abstract

In recent years, the field of probiotics and prebiotics has experienced a boom, achieving scientific and clinical advances that have allowed the development and marketing of various products. In parallel, the demand for probiotics has increased from consumers who are increasingly aware of the close relationship between our microbiota and health, whether in the form of a suspension, dehydrated or added to food matrices. The maintenance of cell viability and vitality is of the utmost importance, these products require the development of strategies that ensure the integrity of the cell components and functions that allow the complete recovery of the cells at the time of consumption. Once consumed, probiotic cells must contend with a very potent set of physicochemical changes, mechanisms within the body, including enzymes, antibacterial molecules, and sudden changes in pH. Understanding the action of these agents and the induction of cellular tolerance mechanisms is essential for the selection of increasingly efficient strains in order to survive from production to colonization of the intestinal tract and promote the desired health benefits. However, of the thousands of strains isolated each year for their probiotic potential in laboratories around the world, very few make it to an industrial development phase and fewer still achieve a commercial life. In this article, general aspects related to probiotics and prebiotics until their commercialization are reviewed, focusing more attention on natural probiotics