Probiotics: from the lab to the consumer

Abstract

In the last years, the field of probiotics has grown notably. However, out of the thousands of strains isolated each year in the labs around the world, very few enter in a phase of industrial development and even a lower number go to the market. In this article, the main aspects that have to be taken into account in the, usually, long and winding road that a strain must follow from isolation to the market are reviewed Results and conclusions: A probiotic microorganism has to be correctly identified at the species and strain levels. The genome sequence is the gold identification standard and provides valuable information on the safety, functionality and technological properties of a strain. The cases in which a link between a probiotic and an adverse effect has been established are scarce and have involved people with underlying pathologies. There is a wide variety of in vitro, ex vivo and animal model assays for the screening of probiotics, which provide useful information throughout the selection process; however, correctly designed clinical trials are the only way to obtain direct results on the safety and efficacy of a probiotic to the target population. Probiotic companies have the need to obtain a very high bacterial biomass in an economically viable manner while preserving the concentration of live bacteria required for exerting the expected beneficial effect until the end of the probiotic's shelf life. Finally, commercial aspects play a key role in the decision of starting an industrial development and, eventually, to place a probiotic in the market.