Probiotic: Global Market, Mechanisms of Action, and Beneficial Effects on Health

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Résumé

Probiotics are microorganisms used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to improve the nutritional quality of foods, preserve them, produce antibiotics and fight against certain pathogenic strains. Probiotics are also microorganisms with beneficial effects. The most commonly used are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These have been the subjects of numerous studies in food and medicine. Recently, the advent of new technologies has enabled the selection, development, and demonstration of the probiotic aptitude of other microorganisms such as viruses (phagebiotics) and molds. The probiotic ability of the latter has been demonstrated by in-vitro and in-vivo tests. Phagebiotics are used for their functional properties, especially against multi-resistant bacteria, for the reduction of Clostridium difficile spores and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thus, certain molds, which are used as probiotics, are capable of reducing cholesterol. This chapter shows the possibility of using probiotic microorganisms as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of certain human and animal pathologies or the detoxification of foods contaminated by mycotoxins.

Mots-clés

probiotic, phagebiotics, antiviral effects, beneficial effects, health