Prebiotics, Probiotics, Synbiotics and Its Importance in the Management of Diseases

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota play a crucial role in human health and disease. A dysbiosis in the ecosystem may lead to chronic diseases and its restoration is difficult to accomplish. Probiotics and prebiotics, alone or together (synbiotics) hold the promise of intestinal microbiota management and control. According to the International Scientific Associations for probiotics and prebiotics, probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts, while prebiotics are electively fermented ingredients that result in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefit(s) upon host health. Synbiotics are probiotics & prebiotics acting together in synergism. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli are two of the most common probiotic strains used. On the other hand, most prebiotics are used as food ingredients—in biscuits, cereals, chocolate, spreads, and dairy products, like oligofructose, inulin, galacto-oligosaccharides, lactulose and breastmilk oligosaccharides. Synbiotics improve the viability of the probiotics. The introduction of these microbiome to the human diet offer many beneficial effects including provision of nourishment for the host, preventing infections caused by intestinal pathogens, and immunomodulation, which are all favorable to the intestinal microbiota. However, a range of new prebiotics and probiotics are emerging and their market for use in treatment of illnesses is growing rapidly. This chapter details the role of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on human health.