Health Benefits of Consuming Foods with Bacterial Probiotics, Postbiotics, and Their Metabolites: A Review

Abstract

Over the years, probiotics have been extensively studied within the medical, pharmaceutical, and food fields, as it has been revealed that these microorganisms can provide health benefits from their consumption. Bacterial probiotics comprise species derived from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (genus Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Streptococcus), the genus Bifidobacterium, and strains of Bacillus and Escherichia coli, among others. The consumption of probiotic products is increasing due to the current situation derived from the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Foods with bacterial probiotics and postbiotics are premised on being healthier than those not incorporated with them. This review aims to present a bibliographic compilation related to the incorporation of bacterial probiotics in food and to demonstrate through in vitro and in vivo studies or clinical trials the health benefits obtained with their metabolites and the consumption of foods with bacterial probiotics/postbiotics. The health benefits that have been reported include effects on the digestive tract, metabolism, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and psychobiotic properties, among others. Therefore, developing food products with bacterial probiotics and postbiotics is a great opportunity for research in food science, medicine, and nutrition, as well as in the food industry.

Construction of a Temperature-Sensitive Shuttle Vector between Lactic Acid Bacteria and <i>Escherichia coli</i> and Its Application to a Tn<i>10</i>-Based Random Mutagenesis Tool in Lactic Acid Bacteria

“…To make those mechanisms clear, classical genetic approaches, such as gene cloning and mutant preparation and characterization, are still required even in the present day, at which a huge amount of genomic, proteomic, metabolic, and clinical data have been registered in the public database. In addition to probiotic effects, LABs also produce exopolysaccharides, functional peptides, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds [31][32][33][34] ; thus, not only their mechanisms of action but also their biosynthetic processes have been studied using the above techniques. LABs are recognized as common and essential bacteria for preparing fermented foods; however, unlike the cases of E. coli and yeast, there are not enough commercially available tools for a genetic approach.…”

Functional Cheeses: Updates on Probiotic Preservation Methods

“…Probiotic LAB can also secrete active compounds that are byproducts of their metabolism, such as essential vitamins, enzymes, bacteriocins, antioxidants, bioactive peptides, and shortchain fatty acids, which have a direct impact on the host's health [84,94,95].…”

Yoghurts in Infants’ Nutrition: Opportunities of Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases’ Prevention

“…В частности, отмечена тенденция к увеличению продолжительности сна у трехлетних детей, если в годовалом возрасте в их рационе присутствовал йогурт. Следует также учитывать возможную связь регулярного приема йогуртов с нормализацией состояний сна и бодрствования у детей в контексте восстановления состава кишечной микробиоты и, как следствие, становления оси «кишечник -головной мозг» [65].…”