Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Bioactive Foods in Health Promotion reviews and presents new hypotheses and conclusions on the effects of different bioactive components of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics to prevent disease and improve the health of various populations. Experts define and support the actions of bacteria; bacteria modified bioflavonoids and prebiotic fibrous materials and vegetable compounds. A major emphasis is placed on the health-promoting activities and bioactive components of probiotic bacteria. - Offers a novel focus on synbiotics, carefully designed prebiotics probiotics combinations to help design functional food and nutraceutical products - Discusses how prebiotics and probiotics are complementary and can be incorporated into food products and used as alternative medicines - Defines the variety of applications of probiotics in health and disease resistance and provides key insights into how gut flora are modified by specific food materials - Includes valuable information on how prebiotics are important sources of micro-and macronutrients that modify body functions

This volume focuses on the issue of the variability and stability of the normal intestinal flora in the individual, and the possible features of bacterial strains with probiotic characteristics. With renewed interest in the possibility of defining certain bacterial strains that are members of the normal intestinal flora, a group of international scientists presented research findings and reviews on the intestinal flora, and its consequences for the host.

This book reviews the microbiology of the human gastrointestinal tract and how its composition and activities may affect host welfare. Drawing on the expertise of internationally recognised authors, a comprehensive account of gut microbiology is given. In particular, the nature of the microbiota, the fermentation process, gut flora modulation through diet (probiotics, prebiotics), molecular approaches for studying the bacteria, health outcomes associated with colonic microbial function and consumer aspects are all detailed. It is now believed that gut function, and colonic bacteria specifically, can play an important role in human nutrition and health. Whilst it has long been realised that the gastrointestinal microbiota can affect host well-being, the full extent of this interaction is only now emerging. This book gives a balanced review of current knowledge on how gut flora can be optimised for improved health and on some of the more important target outcomes. Its contents will therefore be of topical relevance to scientists and students involved in microbiology, gastroenterology, nutrition and the food industry.

The mammalian gastrointestinal mucosa is a rapidly self-renewing tissue in the body, and its homeostasis is preserved through the strict regulation of epithelial cell proliferation, growth arrest, and apoptosis. The control of the growth of gastrointestinal mucosa is unique and, compared with most other tissue in the body, complex. Mucosal growth is regulated by the same hormones that alter metabolism in other tissues, but the gastrointestinal mucosa also responds to host events triggered by the ingestion and presence of food within the digestive tract. These gut hormones and peptides regulate the growth of the exocrine pancreas, gallbladder epithelium, and the mucosa of the oxyntic gland region of the stomach and the small and large intestines. Luminal factors, including nutrients or other dietary factors, secretions, and microbes that occur within the lumen and distribute over a proximal-to-distal gradient, are also crucial for maintenance of normal gut mucosal regeneration and could explain the villous-height-crypt-depth gradient and variety of adaptation, since these factors are diluted, absorbed, and destroyed as they pass down the digestive tract. Recently, intestinal stem cells, cellular polyamines, and noncoding RNAs are shown to play an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal mucosal growth under physiological and various pathological conditions. In this book, we highlight key issues and factors that control gastrointestinal mucosal growth and homeostasis, with special emphasis on the mechanisms through which epithelial renewal and apoptosis are regulated at the cellular and molecular levels.

Probiotic and Prebiotics in Foods: Challenges, Innovations, and Advances reviews recent advances, innovations, and challenges in probiotics/prebiotics in food and beverages. The book presents up-to-date, novel and extensive information regarding recent research and applications in probiotics and prebiotics in food. Sections address probiotics, prebiotics, paraprobiotics and postbiotics, probiotics, prebiotics and bucal health, probiotics, prebiotics and obesity, probiotics, prebiotics and sleep quality, in vitro and in vivo assays for selection of probiotics, probiotics and mycotoxins, edible films added to probiotic and prebiotics, predictive microbiology applied to development of probiotic foods, non-bovine milk products as probiotic and prebiotic foods, emerging technologies, and much more. Written for food scientists, nutritionists, health professionals, food product developers, microbiologists, those working in food safety, and graduate students and researchers working in academia, this book is a welcomed resource on the topics discussed. Includes coverage of both dairy and non-dairy probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotic food products Discusses the efficacy of food substrate in probiotic and prebiotic delivery Presents predictive microbiology models

Manipulation of the microbial gut content of farmed fishes and crustaceans can have a marked effect on their general health, growth, and quality. Expertly covering the science behind the use of prebiotics and probiotics this landmark book explains how the correct manipulation of the gut flora of farmed fishes and crustaceans can have a positive effect on their health, growth rates, feed utilization, and general wellbeing. Aquaculture Nutrition: Gut Health, Probiotics and Prebiotics provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of the gut microbiomes of fish and their importance with respect to host-fish health and performance, providing in-depth, cutting-edge fundamental and applied information. Written by many of the world’s leading authorities and edited by Dr Daniel Merrifield and Professor Einar Ringø, this important book discusses in detail the common mechanisms for modulating microbiomes, particularly at the gut level (e.g. probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics). The book is a key resource for an understanding of the historical development of these products, their known mechanisms of action and their degree of efficacy as presently demonstrated in the literature. The fundamental material provided on the gut microbiota itself, and more broad aspects of microbe-live feed interactions, provide essential reading for researchers, academics and students in the areas of aquaculture nutrition, fish veterinary science, microbiology, aquaculture, fish biology and fisheries. Those involved in the development and formulation of aquaculture feeds and those with broader roles within the aquaculture industry will find a huge wealth of commercially-important information within the book’s covers. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological sciences, nutrition and aquaculture are studied and taught, should have copies of this excellent book on their shelves.

Composed of nearly a thousand different types of microorganisms - some beneficial, others not - the human gut microbiota plays an important role in health and disease. This is due to the presence of probiotic or beneficial microbes, or due to the feeding of prebiotics that stimulate the endogenous beneficial microbes (these promote health by stimulating the immune system, improving the digestion and absorption of nutrients, and inhibiting the growth of pathogens). The notable health benefits of probiotic organisms have prompted much commercial interest, which in turn has led to a plethora of research initiatives in this area. These range from studies to elucidate the efficacy of the various health benefits to analyses of the diet-microbe interaction as a means of modulating the gut microbiota composition. Research in this area is at a very exciting stage. With state-of-the-art commentaries on all aspects of probiotics and prebiotics research, this book provides an authoritative and timely overview of the field. Written by leading international researchers, each chapter affords critical insight to a particular topic, reviews current research, discusses future direction, and stimulates discussion. Topics range from the different microorganisms used as probiotics (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, yeast, etc.), and the techniques and approaches used (metagenomics, etc.), to the reviews of the clinical and medical aspects. The provision of extensive reference sections positively encourages readers to pursue each subject in greater detail. *** Librarians: ebook available on ProQuest and EBSCO [Subject: Microbiology, Life Science]