UNIVERSITY “DUNAREA DE JOS” GALATI

FACULTY “FOOD SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING”

SPECIALTY “FOOD ENGINEERING”

Health benefits of prebiotics

and probiotics

Student: Corodeanu Florentina

Coordinator:
Group: 2A21
Prof.Dr.Ing.
Georgescu Luminita
Ast.Dr.Ing.
Dana Moraru
PROBIOTICS,PREBIOTICS AND SYNBIOTICS

 Probiotics are “live microorganisms which, when administered in

adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” (FAO/WHO,
2002).
 Prebiotics are “nondigestible food ingredients that beneficially
affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity
of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon”.
 Synbiotics refer to nutritional supplements combining probiotics
and prebiotics in a form of synergism.
SIGNIFICANCE OF PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS
IN HEALTH AND NUTRITION

 Probiotic and prebiotic treatment has been shown to be a

promising therapy to maintain and repair the intestinal environment.
Consumption of healthy live microorganisms with prebiotics may
enhance healthy colonic microbiota composition.
 Fermented foods and foods that contain live bacteria are known
throughout the world.The most commonly consumed probiotics are
fermented dairy products such as yoghurt and butter milk.
 For use in foods, probiotic micro-organisms should not only be
capable of surviving passage through the digestive tract but also
have the capability to proliferate in the gut.
HUMAN STUDIES WITH PROBIOTICS AND
PREBIOTICS:CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

 Human prebiotic clinical trials

The results of a controlled study to assess several clinical
parameters related to common acute paediatric illnesses in
infants,supplemented with oligofructose. One hundred and twenty-
three out of 140 children recruited completed the study. The children
were randomized to receive a commercially available infant cereal
alone or the same cereal supplemented with oligofructose at a
concentration of 0,55 g per 15 g of dry cereal.
 Data was obtained through a weekly daycare visit and a weekly
phone call with a parent using a standardized questionnaire and
included: height and weight, cereal consumption, bowel movement
frequency and consistency,etc. During the entire study period, the
supplemented group consumed a calculated daily average of 1,1 g
oligofructose/day;
 A significantly lower frequency of reported emesis,
regurgitation,and perceived discomfort with bowel movements was
noted in the supplemented group.
 A recent study by Firmansyah

 Fifty healthy infants aged 7–9 months of age were randomized to

receive a standard cereal or one supplemented with a mixture of
oligofructose and inulin, added at a concentration of 1 g per 25 g of
dry weight cereal.
 The subjects received one to two servings of the cereals daily for
10 weeks. After 4 weeks of participation, the children were
immunized using a standard live attenuated measles vaccination.
 Two other recent studies using a synbiotic, have shown
significant effects.
1. fifty-eight healthy children with acute gastroenteritis
were randomized to receive a low lactose formula with or without a
combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and oligofructose. The
duration of diarrhoea was significantly shortened in the
supplemented group.
2. 626 children, aged between 1 and 6 years with mild to
moderate malnutrition were enrolled to receive a nutritional
supplement with or without a synbiotic preparation (containing
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium infantis and
oligofructose). The number of ‘sick days’ for subjects aged 3–5
years was significantly lower in the group receiving the synbiotic
supplement.
 Amazing benefits of using probiotics include:
 Aid in digestion
 Improve resistance to allergies
 Prevent constipation and diarrhea
 Help fight urinary tract infections
 Improve liver function
 Improve absorption of nutrients
 Prevent skin problems
 Reduce accumulation of cholesterol
 Improve lactose digestion
 Improve tolerance to antibiotics
 Maintain a balanced pH level
 Help maintain hormone balance
 Enhance mintal clarity
 Enhance calcium metabolism
USING PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS TO
IMPROVE GUT HEALTH

The microbiota management tools of

probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics have
been developed and, indeed,
commercialized over the past few decades
with the expressed purpose of increasing
numbers of bifidobacteria and/or
lactobacilli within the gastrointestinal tract.
Probiotics and prebiotics in animal feeding for safe food
production

 Since the first applications on new hatched chicks, several

experiments with undefined and defined probiotic cultures have
been developed and successfully applied to control and reduce
Salmonella colonization. Eggs production has been also investigated
in relation to probiotic application.Moreover, probiotics increase
egg production and quality.
 Application studies have been increasing in the last years to
assess their effect on gut health, performance, and reduction of
pathogen shedding.Prebiotics seem to selectively enhance
lactobacilli and bifidobacteria populations and reduce colonization
by pathogenic bacteria.
 Results on animal performance, either with a probiotic or a
prebiotic treatment, are often contradictory and mostly affected by
the microorganisms or compound chosen, the dietary
supplementation level, and duration of use.
FOODS THAT CONTAIN PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS
 It’s difficult to get enough probiotics
strictly through food. You need to take a
probiotic supplement to get enough
probiotics in your diet to maintain good
health, especially if you’re treating a
particular illness.

 It’s the live bacteria in the food you eat

that make it full of healthy probiotics. Since
heat destroys the bacteria, you need to make
sure that your yogurt, for example,
says live or active cultures on the label. Some
yogurts are pasteurized, which kills the
bacteria.
 Probiotic-rich foods include the following:
 Kefir
 Yogurt (with live cultures)
 Kimchi (a spicy fermented cabbage common in the Korean diet)
 Dark chocolate (a good, high-quality chocolate)
 Microalgae
 Natto (a fermented soybean)
 Some soft cheeses (such as Gouda) contain Lactobacilli bacteria
 Sourdough bread may also contain Lactobacilli
 Fruits such as bananas and tomatoes
 Vegetables like artichokes, green beans, leeks
 Whole-grain breads
 Honey
 How to Get Prebiotics?
 In a nutshell, prebiotics are a type of fiber. The more food, or
prebiotics, that probiotics have to eat, the more efficiently these live
bacteria work and the healthier your gut will be.
 In order to realize the full effects prebiotics can offer, strive to
consume at least 5 grams of prebiotic-dense foods a day.
 Heating anything changes its composition, thus altering its natural
occurring state. In the case of prebiotics, if you cook them, you lose
some of that precious prebiotic fiber.
 A List of Prebiotic Foods:
 Asparagus
 Bananas
 Onions
 Garlic
 Beans
 Legumes
 Artichokes
 Leeks
 Root Vegetables
 Apples
 Raw Wheat Bran
 Bibliography

http://www.sciencedirect.com
http://journals.cambridge.org
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
https://www.researchgate.net
http://ps.oxfordjournals.org
http://ajcn.nutrition.org
http://www.probiotika-prebiotika.cz
http://malayabiosciences.com
Thank you for your attention!