Role of Nutraceutical-Based Synbiotics in the Biological Homeostasis

Biological homeostasis is a self-regulating physiological process by which the stability of biological systems is maintained with respect to the external conditions. This process enables the biological systems to adapt to the hostile external environment. Nutraceutical-based synbiotics have been known to promote the biological homeostasis. Synbiotics are a combination of prebiotics and probiotics that play an important role in the metabolism of nutraceuticals for sustaining an optimal health condition. However, the administration of synbiotics in the gastrointestinal tract faces a sizable challenge related to their low stability, which is generally overcome by a suitable encapsulation technique. The synbiotic nutraceuticals have been known to alter the gut microflora to facilitate the optimal GIT environment. The frequently known probiotic strains include Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus coagulans, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacilli. The prebiotics such as fructans, inulin, galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are used in combination with probiotics and are known to improve the functioning of the latter. The administration of synbiotic-based nutraceuticals has been widely known to improve the biological functioning of the body ranging from the gut health, improved kidney functioning, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, prevention of obesity, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, promoting neuroprotection, and blood cholesterol homeostasis. In this chapter, we present the role of nutraceutical-based synbiotics for maintaining the biological homeostasis.