Lavermicocca Paola
Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, Bari, Italy.
Dig Liver Dis. 2006 Dec;38 Suppl 2:S295-9. doi: 10.1016/S1590-8658(07)60014-0.
The understanding that probiotic foods can have beneficial effects on health has recently led to an increase in consumer demand for such products, thus enhancing their commercial value. Daily intake of probiotic micro-organisms, such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, contributes to maintaining and improving the balance of intestinal microbe populations, and their presence in high numbers largely prevents gastro-intestinal disturbances and improves the well-being of the organism by reinforcing its natural defences. In products destined for human consumption, probiotic bacteria are mainly incorporated in fermented milk products whose consumption may be limited by allergies and intolerances, or by low-cholesterol diets. Research is currently aimed at developing probiotic vegetable products which may ensure a regular assumption of beneficial micro-organisms from foods and beverages which are part of a normal diet, thus overcoming the limitations imposed by the use of milk-based products. This paper provides an overview of probiotic products and recently developed technologies, with some details on vegetable carriers used for delivering probiotic species into the human gastro-intestinal tract.
人们认识到益生菌食品对健康有益，这最近导致消费者对此类产品的需求增加，从而提高了它们的商业价值。每日摄入益生菌微生物，如乳酸杆菌和双歧杆菌，有助于维持和改善肠道微生物群落的平衡，大量存在的这些微生物很大程度上可预防胃肠道紊乱，并通过增强机体的自然防御能力来改善机体健康状况。在供人类食用的产品中，益生菌主要添加到发酵乳制品中，而这些产品的消费可能会受到过敏、不耐受或低胆固醇饮食的限制。目前的研究旨在开发益生菌蔬菜产品，这类产品可以确保人们从日常饮食中的食品和饮料中定期摄取有益微生物，从而克服使用奶制品所带来的限制。本文概述了益生菌产品和最近开发的技术，并详细介绍了用于将益生菌输送到人体胃肠道的蔬菜载体。
