ABSTRACT
The term probiotic was first proposed by Fuller (1989) and its definition was further refined as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (FAO/WHO 2006). Probiotic food belongs to the functional food sector and probiotic lactic acid bacteria are a representative of live food ingredients that exert a beneficial effect on the host’s health. According to the definition, functional food is a part of an everyday diet and is demonstrated to offer health benefits and to reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond the widely accepted nutritional effects. At the moment, the most important and the most frequently used functional food compound is probiotics. In vitro and in vivo studies provide that probiotics exhibit antioxidant potential. In this view, consumption of probiotics alone or food supplemented with probiotics may reduce oxidative damage, free radical scavenging rate, and modification in activity of crucial antioxidative enzymes in human cells. In this chapter, literature related to probiotics, which has been known for their antioxidant properties has been studied and reviewed.
