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Abstract
This paper reviews the history of the development of probiotics and the eect on the human gastrointestinal microecology.
Furthermore, the application of probiotics to yogurt, commonly referred to as bio-yogurt and the eectiveness of yogurt as
probiotic carrier food are also discussed. The paper also reviews the literature explaining, in essence, the concept of therapeutic
minimum levels and the importance of the survival of probiotic microorganisms in food products. The production of bio-yogurt,
survival of probiotic species in yogurt during retail storage, technical considerations for incorporating probiotic microorganisms
into yogurt, starter culture technology and enumeration of the probiotic organisms are also reviewed. r 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.
All rights reserved.
Keywords: Probiotic; Bio-yogurt
1. Introduction
Interest in the role of probiotics for human health
goes back at least as far as 1908 when Metchniko
suggested that man should consume milk fermented
with lactobacilli to prolong life (Hughes a Hoover,
1991; OSullivan, Thornton, Sullivan, a Collins, 1992).
It is only recently, however, that the interrelationship
between intestinal microorganisms and the health
benets deriving from it are beginning to be understood.
At present it is generally recognised that an optimum
balance in microbial population in our digestive tract is
associated with good nutrition and health (Rybka a
Kailasapathy, 1995). The microorganisms primarily
associated with this balance are lactobacilli and bidobacteria. Factors that negatively inuence the interaction between intestinal microorganisms, such as stress
and diet, lead to detrimental eects in health. Increasing
evidence indicates that consumption of probiotic
microorganisms can help maintain such a favourable
microbial prole and results in several therapeutic
benets. In recent years probiotic bacteria have increasingly been incorporated into foods as dietary adjuncts.
One of the most popular dairy products for the delivery
of viable Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bidobacterium
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +27-51-401-2621; fax:+27-51-4443219.
E-mail address: viljoenbc@micro.nw.uovs.ac.za (B.C. Viljoen).
2. Background on probiotics
2.1. History
The history recording the benecial properties of live
microbial food supplements such as fermented milks
dates back many centuries. Their use in treatment of
body ailments has been mentioned even in Biblical
scriptures. Known scientists in early ages, such as
Hippocrates and others considered fermented milk not
only a food product but a medicine as well. They
prescribed sour milks for curing disorders of the
stomach and intestines (Oberman, 1985).
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian
bacteriologist Eli Metchniko (Pasteur Institute,
France) was the rst to give a scientic explanation for
the benecial eects of lactic acid bacteria present in
fermented milk (Hughes a Hoover, 1991; OSullivan
0958-6946/01/$ - see front matter r 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 9 5 8 - 6 9 4 6 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 3 6 - X
Fig. 2. The interrelationship between intestinal bacteria and human health as proposed by Mitsuoka (Ishibashi a Shimamura, 1993).
Table 1
Claimed benecial eects and therapeutic application of probiotic
bacteria in humans (Fuller, 1989)
Benecial eects:
Maintenance of normal intestinal microora
Enhancement of the immune system
Reduction of lactose-intolerance
Reduction of serum cholesterol levels
Anticarcinogenic activity
Improved nutritional value of foods
Therapeutic applications:
Prevention of urogenital infection
Alleviation of constipation
Protection against travellers diarrhoea
Prevention of infantile diarrhoea
Reduction of antibiotic-induced diarrhoea
Prevention of hypercholesterolaemia
Protection against colon/bladder cancer
Prevention of osteoporosis
their acting as competitive antagonists, i.e. competition for adhesion sites and nutrients;
stimulation of the immune system.
Table 2
Selective/dierential media for enumeration of L. acidophilus and Bidobacterium species in the presence of yogurt starter bacteria
Bacterial group
Agar medium
Reference
Lactobacillus acidophilus
MRS-maltose
(de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe)
EC (esculin-cellobiose)
TPPY (tryptose-proteose-peptone yeast extract)
LBSO (Lactobacillus selective agar with oxgall)
PCA (agar plate count method)
X-Glu
MNA+salicin (minimal nutrient agar)
Bidobacterium
L. bulgaricus
S. thermophilus
Table 3
Some examples of probiotic dairy products available on the world marketa
Product
Country
Culture
AB milk products
Acidophilus bidus yogurt
BA Bidus active
Bidus milk
Bidus yogurt
Denmark
Germany
France
Germany
Many countries
Bighurt
Bilak(c)t
Biobest
Germany
USSR
Germany
Biokys (=Femilact)
Biomild
Mil-Mil
Bioghurt
Chechoslovakia
Germany
Japan
Germany
A+B
A+B+Yogurt culture
B. longum+Yogurt culture
B. bidum or B. longum
B. bidum or B. longum+
Yogurt culture
B. longum+S. thermophilus
A+B
B. bidum or B. longum +
Yogurt culture
A+B+Pediococcus acidilactici
A+B
A+B+B. breve
A+B+S. thermophilus
Cultura
A+B
Hoier (1992)
Philus
BA live
A-38
Acidophilus milk
Kyr
Olus
BIO
Biogarde
ABC Ferment
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom
Denmark
Sweden
Italy
France
France
Germany
Germany
A+B+S. thermophilus
A+B+Yogurt culture
A+B+Mesophilic LD culture
A+B+Mesophilic LD culture
A+B+Yogurt culture
A+B+S. thermophilus
A+B+Yogurt culture
A+B+S. thermophilus
A+B+L. casei
AKTIFIT plus
Symbalance
Mona fysig
Actimell
LC-1
LA-7 plus
Vit
Primo
Zabady
Switzerland
Switzerland
Netherlands
Germany
Germany
Bauer
Germany
Germany
Egypt
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Hoier (1992)
Holzapfel, Schillinger,
Du tiot and Dicks (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Holzapfel et al. (1997)
Kebary (1996)
Prebiotic additive
Reference
Tamime
Tamime
Tamime
Tamime
Tamime
et
et
et
et
et
al.
al.
al.
al.
al.
(1995)
(1995)
(1995)
(1995)
(1995)
Inulin
Oligofructose
Inulin
Inulin
Oligofructose
Oligofructose
Tamime
Tamime
Tamime
Tamime
et
et
et
et
al.
al.
al.
al.
(1995)
(1995)
(1995)
(1995)
6. Bio-yogurt
In recent years some yogurt products have been
reformulated to include live strains of L. acidophilus and
species of Bidobacterium (known as AB-cultures) in
addition to the conventional yogurt organisms, S.
thermophilus and L. bulgaricus. Therefore, bio-yogurt
is yogurt that contains live probiotic microorganisms,
the presence of which may give rise to claimed benecial
health eects.
6.1. Production of AB-yogurt
Fig. 3. A schematic presentation of the production of yogurt (Tamime
a Robinson, 1985).
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8. Conclusions
We are still at an early stage in the development of
consistently eective probiotics for human application.
Although the market for probiotic containing products
shows a substantial increase in popularity recently,
scientic approaches to establishing the functional
benets of probiotic foods are still a complicated case.
Evidence from in vitro studies suggests benecial eects,
but considerable progress has not yet been made in both
eects on host health and mechanisms of action. Also,
whether specically viable microorganisms are necessary
for health benets, needs clarication.
The typical poor growth of these probiotic species is
highlighted, therefore investigation of bidogenic- and
growth factors, and eorts to establish optimum
environmental conditions for their growth are critical,
in addition to eects of the type of foods and storage
conditions on microbial survival.
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