Abstract
Global scientific pursuits are percolating towards a common goal of finding a solution for efficient utilization of existing resources, developing low cost effective technologies for making the foods more nutritional and preventing losses due to biological, microbiological, chemical, biochemical, mechanical, physical and physiological factors. One of the possible approaches in finding solutions to these problems is exploiting the full potential of fermentation technology. Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation known to mankind (Prajapati and Nair, 2003). In India, the Rigveda (1500BC) and Sukla Yajurveda have texts mentioning the preparation of Soma (Plant juice) and Sura(Wine/beer) while curd finds its mention in Yajurved and Charaka Samhita. Traditional sour milk products were primarily produced to prolong the shelf-life of milk and for pleasant sensory properties. Fermented milk products got a whole new reputation when Elie Metchnikoff in 1907 hypothesized that replacing or diminishing the number of ‘putrefactive’ bacteria in the gut with lactic acid bacteria could normalize bowel health and prolong life. After more than half a century the term probiotics was coined to reflect Metchnikoff's idea, much progress has been made since in terms of the fermentation of dairy products. Probiotics are proven effective in gastrointestinal diseases along with successful reports in treating allergy, cancer, diabetes to depression. Sales in Western Europe grew to 8 billion U.S. dollars by 2014. The most developed markets for probiotic foods were Europe and Japan, accounting for more than half of total sales. The Indian probiotic scenario is expected to to grow at a CAGR of 25% during 2014–2019 as reported by the Dairy Industry in India. At this point it is imperative to develop and promote indigenous probiotic strains and make serious efforts to explore the novel functional physiological properties of the enormous Indian microbial diversity.
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