Identification and Evaluation of Probiotics

Microbial strains used as probiotics comprise of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), non-LAB, bifidobacteria, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, butyrogenic Firmicutes, and yeasts, obtained from fermented milks, non-milk foods, human gut, infants’ feces, and human milk. Identification, portrayal, and classification of microorganisms are the initial steps in selection of particular strain as probiotics. Because conventional approaches do not accurately define microorganism and may misjudge the target, their prospects are limited in microbial studies. Genetic fingerprinting, gene sequencing, oligonucleotide probes, and strain-specific primer-based discrimination between closely related bacteria have advantage over traditional methodologies.