Probiotics and Fermented Foods Quiz

Probiotics: Definition and History

• Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts.
• The term "probiotic" comes from the Latin and Greek words "pro" (for) and "bios" (life).
• In 1899, Tissier identified bifidobacteria and promoted their therapeutic use for treating infant diarrhea.
• In 1907, Metchnikoff proposed that consuming acid-producing bacteria in fermented milk products could prevent "fouling" in the large intestine, leading to a longer, healthier life.
•   Not all fermented foods are probiotics.
• Examples of fermented milk products include: Finnish Piima and Viili, Caucasian Kefir, Russian Koumiss, Indian Dahi, South African Amasi, Iranian Doogh, and Egyptian Zabadi.
• Specific strains of bacteria (such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) are involved in the fermentation of Bulgarian yogurt.
•  Some microorganisms (like Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917) are used for treating infectious intestinal diseases, such as shigellosis and salmonellosis

History of Probiotics: Early 1900s

• Nissle (1918) isolated an Escherichia coli strain that successfully treated acute cases of infectious intestinal diseases like shigellosis and salmonellosis.
• Isaac Carasso created Danone in 1919.
• Yogurt production started using starter cultures.
• Rettger and Cheplin (1921) reported that Lactobacillus acidophilus could help combat constipation, diarrhea, and other intestinal problems in humans.

History of Probiotics: 1930-1950

• Minoru Shirota developed Yakult in the early 1930s, a fermented milk product.
• Shirota made Yakult by fermenting a mixture of skimmed milk with a special strain of Lactobacillus casei, called "Shirota."
• The Association for Microbial Therapy explored microbial interventions to prevent antibiotic side effects in the 1950s.

Evolution of the Definition of Probiotics

• In 1965, Lilly and Stillwell coined the term "probiotics" as substances secreted by one microorganism that stimulate the growth of another.
• Parker (1974) defined probiotics as organisms and substances that contribute to intestinal microbial balance.
• Salminen (1996) defined probiotics as live microbial cultures that beneficially influence the host's health and nutrition.
• Shaafsma (1996) described probiotics as living microorganisms capable of exerting a health benefit to the host when ingested in certain numbers.
•  A consensus definition of probiotics was established by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization in 2002.

Which Microorganisms Are Probiotics?

• Probiotic microorganisms should be tested in controlled clinical trials to demonstrate health benefits.
• New commensals (beneficial microorganisms that live alongside other organisms in an environment) and consortia (groups of microorganisms working together) comprising defined strains of human samples that have adequate safety and effectiveness data should be used as probiotics.
•  The most common genera of probiotic organisms include Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus, and Saccharomyces.
• Some less frequent genera include Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Propionibacterium, Clostridium, Akkermansia, and Faecalibacterium.

Overall Framework of Probiotic Products

• Probiotics are classified into probiotic drugs, probiotic medical foods, probiotic foods, non-oral probiotics, fermented foods with undefined microbial content, undefined consortia, defined probiotic microbial consortia, probiotic dietary supplements, and probiotic infant formulas, among other types.

What Are Not Probiotics?

• Commercial products claiming to be live or active cultures are not necessarily probiotics.
• Microorganisms found in fermented foods (such as kombucha, sauerkraut) are not always probiotics if no health benefit is proven.
• Undefined fecal microbiota transplants are not considered probiotics.

Distribution of the Beneficial Effects Reported for Probiotic Strains

• Strains exhibit varied effects, some are specific to a particular strain (rare), whereas others are more widespread (frequent).
• Example frequent effects include vitamin synthesis, gut barrier reinforcement, and bile salt metabolism.
• Example rare effects include neurological, immunological, endocrinological, and specific bio-active production effects.

Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs)

• LBPs are microorganisms designed and developed to treat, cure, or prevent human diseases.
• Probiotics are distinct from LBPs in that they don't necessarily have an established clinical benefit for a particular disease.

LBPs vs. Probiotics

• LBPs have a more limited history than probiotics, while probiotics have been used for a long time.
• Certain microbes such as Akkermansia, Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium, among others are included in live biotherapeutics.

Key Takeaway Points

• Fermented foods, probiotics, and live biotherapeutic products have distinct regulatory requirements.
• These requirements include specifying the genus, species & strain denomination, genome availability, viability & enumeration, health benefits or claims, and regulatory pathways.