摘要：Probiotics are “live microorganisms which, when administrated in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” (FAO/WHO, 2001). This requirement, i.e. that the probiotic bacteria must be in viable form at the time of consumption poses a number of technical challenges from food processing perspectives. Environmental stresses encountered during food processing include acid exposure during food fermentations, extremes in temperatures encountered during drying processes, in addition to oxidative, osmotic and food matrix stresses. Furthermore, the ingested bacteria must remain viable during gastric transit, to reach the site of action in viable form to exert the probiotic effects. This imposes further stresses, as the gastrointestinal tract is naturally designed to impede the passage of microorganisms with low pH encountered in the stomach and the detergent-like properties of bile encountered in the duodenum. A number of approaches have been investigated in order to minimise the damage caused by exposure to such stresses experienced by probiotics during food processing and gastric transit.(Published: 18 June 2012)Citation: Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 2012, 23: 18561 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/mehd.v23i0.18561
