Postbiotics as a Safe Alternative to Live Probiotic Bacteria in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries

Abstract

Background and Aim: Food is the fundamental need of human life and has nutrients that support growth and be healthy. Gastrointestinal tract (GI) microbiota involves beneficial microorganisms that develop therapeutic effects and are characterize as probiotics. The studies on appropriate probiotic strains have led to the separation and description of specific metabolic byproducts of probiotics named postbiotics. Materials and Methods: A literature review has been performing using PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases using combinations of search terms “probiotic, postbiotic, immune system, bioactivity, cancer, health-promoting, food, and pharmaceutical industry”. All experimental studies were enrolling for this explanatory review. Articles that did not have a full text were excluded. Results: The probiotics must maintain their survival against inappropriate growth conditions of the processing, storage, distribution, preparation, and digestion system so that they can play their most health effects. Conversely, probiotic metabolites have successfully overcome these unfavorable conditions and maybe a good alternative to probiotics. Due to their specific chemical structure, safe profile, long shelf-life, and the fact that they contain various signaling molecules, postbiotics may have anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, inhibiting abnormal cell proliferation, and antioxidant activities. Conclusions: Postbiotics is mimic the fundamental and clinical role of probiotics, and due to their unique characteristics, can be applied in a delivery system (pharmaceutical/functional foods) to achieve health-promoting, prevention, and treatment purposes.

Keywords

• postbiotic
• probiotic
• functional foods
• immune system
• health-promotion