ABSTRACT

According to the currently adopted de’nition, probiotics are “Live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health bene’t on the host” (FAO/WHO, 2001). Nowadays, probiotics represent probably the archetypal functional food and are de’ned as alive microbial supplement, which bene’cially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance (Kalliomaki et al., 2001; Brown and Valiere, 2004) and inhibiting pathogens and toxin-producing bacteria (Metchnikoff, 1907). Multiple reports have described their health bene’ts on gastrointestinal infections, antimicrobial activity, improvement in lactose metabolism, reduction in serum

10.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 247 10.1.1 Probiotics .......................................................................................... 247 10.1.2 Prebiotics ..........................................................................................249 10.1.3 Synbiotics ..........................................................................................250