Role of probiotics in human health and its applications

Abstract

This review is aimed to explore the health beneficial effects of probiotics which are live microorganisms that provide a positive health influence on humans when taken in sufficient quantity. Lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and yeast are frequently used as probiotics. Microorganisms occupy a prominent position in the industrial sector due to their unique properties, such as the limited time and space required for their growth and proliferation, as well as their easy manipulation of the genetic material. Among all the microorganisms, probiotics have grabbed the attention of researchers because of their non pathogenic nature and immersive application in treating digestive ailments and vitamin deficiency, boosting immunity, and detoxifying harmful chemicals. Probiotics, like lactic acid bacteria, are non- pathogenic microbes that exert health benefits to the host when administered in adequate quantity. Currently, research is being conducted on the molecular events and applications of probiotics. Considering the functional properties, probiotics are being used in the dairy, beverage, and baking industries. Thus, the potential of probiotics can efficiently be utilized on a commercial scale in food processing industries. Hence, probiotics have become an alternative to several drugs including antibiotics. In addition, probiotic efficacy also depends on the delivery system as the delivery agents help the bacteria to survive in the harsh environment of the human gut. This review explored a portrait of the beneficial effects of probiotics on human health. 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.