Probiotics, definition

Sanders, M. E., Probiotics Definition, sources, selection, and uses. Clinical Infectious Diseases flOOS)-. 46, S58-S61. 

Such an assumption has very important regulatory implications beneficial bacteria can be utilized as therapy for pathological conditions, but in this case they must be considered drugs and the pharmaceutical rules apply. Several key aspects of the probiotic definition emerge from this document and the specifications outlined by the FAO/WHO Working Group for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food. ... 

In the last decade, the FAO/WHO documents have been taken into account by industrial, scientific and regulatory communities. While several countries adopted the definition suggested by the Consultation in their regulatory documents, the word "probiotic" is often used by scientists in a frame of clinical trials and pathological conditions without a clear knowledge of the "food area" in which the documents were allocated. The consequences of this misinterpretation are that bacteria considered to be safe on the basis of their historical presence in foods have been used to treat patients affected by severe pathologies, sometimes causing threats to their health. In addition, the incorrect interpretation of the probiotic definition has led to the use of the word to indicate preparations of dead microbial cells or crude microbial cell fractions or bacteria with no documented benefits for human health. ... 

Effects of prebiotics on mineral metabolism . Am J Clin Nut, 73, 459-464. Schrezenmeir J. anddeVreseM. (2001). Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics - approaching a definition . Am J Clini Nutr, 73, 361-364. 

Schrezenmeir, J. and de Vrese, M., Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics approaching a definition, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., Suppl. 73, 361S, 2001. 

There is a wide range of possible research areas on probiotic microencapsulation, especially by spray chilling. There still is no definitive report on the potential vs. performance for the bino-mium probiotic/spray chilling. From the studies carried out until today, promising results have been... 

Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. This definition refers to non-pathogenic microorganisms present in foods or added to them, and excludes references to biotherapeutic agents and beneficial microorganisms not used in the food industry. ... 

The functionality and therefore definition of a probiotic is largely dependent on the animal production system in which it will be used. Fuller s widely cited definition of a probiotic as a live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal balance (Fuller, 1989) is too narrow for aquaculture production systems because aquatic animals are intimately associated with their ambient environment. Hence, microbial-induced improvements to the host ectobiota or host external environments may also be considered probiotic (Verschuere et al, 2000). In their review, Irianto and Austin (2002) defined an aquaculture probiont as an entire or component(s) of a microorganism that is beneficial to the health of the host . This all-encapsulating definition includes probiotic action on both internal and external environments, and introduces the prospect of microbial components, such as peptidoglycan and lipopoly-saccharides, acting as immunostimulants (Smith et aL, 2003). 

In this chapter we will focus our attention only on the second line of research the reason for this choice will be clarified in the following section, devoted to the history and the regulatory aspects of the definition of probiotics. 

Two sequential FAO/WHO documents have defined "Probiotics" as "live microorganisms which, when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." This definition was provided by an expert committee which dealt with issues specifically related to probiotics in food the FAO/WHO experts stated emphatically that in their intentions the term probiotic was used exclusively to indicate beneficial bacteria consumed as a part of food, thus excluding any reference to bio-therapeutic agents. As a consequence, the 2001 document was directed to evaluate and to provide guidance on the administration of beneficial bacteria to... 

Probiotics are live microorganisms usually consumed in the diet through fermented dairy foods and beverages. Fuller (1991) first defined probiotics as "live microbial food supplements that beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance." An updated definition was released in 2002 by the FAO/ WHO, which is the most current version "Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit to the host." Several criteria must be met when a microorganism is proposed as a probiotic strain for human use ... 

Probiotics were originally defined in 1965 (Lilly and Stillwell, 1965), however have undergone several revisions. A more recent definition is a live microbial feed supplement that beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance, (Fuller 1989). However the currently accepted version is, Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host, (FAO 2001). 

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