Future Perspectives of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Foods and Food Supplements

Most of the bacterial members of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiota are obligate anaerobes. There are a number of strategies to modulate the GI tract microbiota through dietary intervention. These include, among others, the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotic combinations of both. Probiotics and prebiotics target the GI tract microbiota by distinct, yet complementary mechanisms of actions. Probiotics have had a long history in food production and consumption. With regard to its function as an energy metabolism regulator, the microbiota in the GI tract influences the energy-balance during its metabolism, including the conservation, storage, and release of energy obtained from the diet. The microbiota in the GI tract has been reported to play numerous essential roles related to the health of the host. Primarily, the major roles of the GI tract microbiota include regulation of energy metabolism, nutrient acquisition as well as immunomodulation.