Probiotics are live bacteria that can be incorporated into various items, including foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements. Probiotic supplement is a relatively recent term used to describe nutraceuticals that have sound effects on people and animals.
The term probiotic means “for life.” It refers to the live bacteria that is present in dormant condition, which when consumed in sufficient quantities, may support health benefits in addition to those provided by a natural diet.
Importance of Probiotic Supplement in Industrial Applications
Consumer demand is pushing global markets to produce dairy and non-dairy products by incorporating probiotic bacteria. As a result, incorporating probiotic microorganisms into products is a critical subject with industrial and commercial implications.
Probiotics may be widely recognized for their beneficial effects on human health, particularly for improving gut health. However, their versatile role extends far beyond this.
Probiotics foods use probiotics as functional ingredients in fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, kefir, and cheese, to improve their nutritional value and add probiotic benefits.
They can also be added to non-dairy products, such as juices, smoothies, and snacks, to boost the product’s health and ensure consumer trust for your products.
Moreover, probiotics can be used as starter cultures in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, pickles, and sourdough bread, to enhance their flavor and extend their shelf life.
In animal feed, probiotics may be used to support the health and productivity of livestock, such as cows, pigs, and chickens. They may help maintain the digestive system’s balance and may reduce the risk of infections, leading to increased weight gain.
This, in turn, leads to a higher yield of meat, eggs, and dairy products, making probiotics a valuable addition to animal feed.
The numerous applications of probiotics in maintaining and supporting a healthy life have resulted in a shift in businesses, concentrating on probiotic-based food products to meet customer demand.
They are available for industrial application in dried or deep-frozen form and powder or capsule form. The following are some of the most common, commercially available probiotic strains.
Bacillus coagulans Powder
Bacillus coagulans are gram-positive, rod-shaped, facultatively anaerobic bacteria forming spores. It also generates lactic acid. It is heat resistant. It can grow in a pH range of 5.0 to 7.0 and withstand temperatures up to 52 °C.
Powdered Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus casei is a Lactobacillus species found in the human intestine and mouth. This Lactobacillus species have been shown to have a wide pH and temperature range.
Lactobacillus casei, a specifically selected strain, is offered as a culture concentrate or as part of a multi-strain bespoke blend with a choice of excipients.
It comes as white to cream-colored free-flowing powder. Lactobacillus casei is a gram-positive rod with variable lengths, most usually found in short chains.
Powdered Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a gram-positive bacteria species in the genus Lactobacillus. L. acidophilus is a homofermentative, microaerophilic species that ferment carbohydrates to produce lactic acid.
It grows well at low pH values (below pH 5.0) and has an optimum growth temperature of roughly 37 °C (99 °F). L. acidophilus is found naturally in the gastrointestinal system and mouth of humans and animals.
Lactobacillus acidophilus bulk powder, a specifically selected strain, is offered as a culture concentrate or as part of a custom blend with several excipients. It comes as white to cream-colored free-flowing powder.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus Powder
Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a bacterium and a standard member of the Lactobacillus genus. It lives in your intestines and makes the enzyme lactase. This enzyme converts the lactose sugar present in dairy products into lactic acid.
- rhamnosus can be purchased as a probiotic supplement or added to cheeses, yogurts, milk, and other dairy products to increase their probiotic content. It is thought to be beneficial for intestinal health, among others.
Lactobacillus gasseri Powder
Lactobacillus gasseri is an anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium that belongs to the lactic acid bacteria family. It is also rod-shaped and does not produce spores. Owing to its primarily fermentative role, it is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals.
Lactobacillus brevis Powder
Lactobacillus brevis is a rod-shaped, gram-positive lactic acid bacterium. Lactobacillus brevis, a specifically selected strain, is offered as a culture concentrate or as part of a custom blend with several excipients.
Bacillus subtilis Powder
Gram-positive, catalase-positive Bacillus subtilis, also referred to as grass bacillus or hay bacillus, is typically found in the gastrointestinal tract and soil.
It is tough, rod-shaped, and often forms a protective endospore around itself to resist extreme environmental conditions. It is not pathogenic and is used to make various commercial items.
Lactococcus lactis Powder
Lactococcuslactis does not produce spores (it is nonsporulating) and is not mobile. They have a homofermentative metabolism and are known to produce only L-(+)-lactic acid.
In conclusion, the versatile role of probiotics has revolutionized several industries, including food, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals, offering numerous benefits, from potentially improved health and productivity to sustainable solutions.
The potential of probiotics continues to be explored, and with advancements in research, their applications are expected to expand even further. Furthermore, the global market for probiotics was valued at approximately 49.4 billion US dollars in 2018 and was expected to reach approximately 69.3 billion dollars by 2023.
Thanks to their capacity to improve product quality, increase efficiency, and improve sustainability, probiotic supplement has become a significant element in industrial operations.