Abstract

A REVIEW ON: PROBIOTIC PREBIOTICS AND SYMBIOTICS – AS FOOD, DRUG AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENT

Zeenath Ruhy*

Abstract

Probiotics are living microorganisms which when taken in adequate amount provides benefit to the host. While this beneficial effect was originally thought to stem from improvements in the intestinal microbial balance. Identification of clinical characteristics of effective probiotic strains, their mechanisms of action and testing of probioticbased treatment may provide the true beneficial effect of probiotics in various disorders. Probiotics have been investigated as a potential dietary supplement that can positively contribute to an individual‘s health. This health benefits are not limited to the intestinal tract, but also include amelioration of systemic metabolic disorders, such as Type – II Diabetes Mellitus and Cardiovascular diseases. Prebiotics are dietary substances that consist of non-starch polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. These are poorly hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes and preferably favour for the growth of probiotics such organism are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacter that are helpful in gut health maintenance, treat cancer, cardiovascular diseases and protect from colitis condition, improve immunity system. Hence prebiotics are widely used in food industry and pharmaceutical formulations. Synbiotic contain both probiotic bacteria and prebiotic sugars. The microbial additions (probiotics) may be used in conjugation with specific substrates (prebiotic) for growth. Synbiotics. are used not only for the improved survival of beneficial microorganisms added to food or feed, but also for the stimulation of the proliferation of specific native bacterial strains present in the gastrointestinal tract. The present review summarizes and discusses the effects of probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic administration on growth performance, stress tolerance, intestinal microbiota, immune response and as well as food and drug.

Keywords: Food and Drug, Prebiotic, Probiotics, Synbiotic.