International Journal of Fermented Foods: v.3.n.2 p-115-126 Dec. 2014

© 2014 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved

DOI No. 10.5958/2321-712X.2014.01313.1

2

Perspectives into probiotics- from

phenotyping to pyrosequencing

JB Prajapati 1 and Suja Senan 2

1 Department of Dairy Microbiology, SMC College of Dairy Science,

Anand Agricultural University, Anand-388110

2 Department of Dairy Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA

Corresponding author: Suja.Senan@sdstate.edu

ABSTRACT

Globalȱ scientificȱ pursuitsȱ areȱ percolatingȱ towardsȱ aȱ commonȱ goalȱ ofȱ findingȱ

aȱ solutionȱ forȱ efficientȱ utilizationȱ ofȱ existingȱ resources,ȱ developingȱ lowȱ costȱ

effectiveȱ technologiesȱ forȱ makingȱ theȱ foodsȱ moreȱ nutritionalȱ andȱ preventingȱ

losses due to biological, microbiological, chemical, biochemical, mechanical,

physicalȱandȱphysiologicalȱfactors.ȱOneȱofȱtheȱpossibleȱapproachesȱinȱfindingȱ

solutions to these problems is exploiting the full potential of fermentation

technology. Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation

known to mankind (Prajapati and Nair, 2003). In India, the Rigveda (1500BC) and

Sukla Yajurveda have texts mentioning the preparation of Soma (Plant juice) and

Sura (Wine/beer)ȱwhileȱcurdȱfindsȱitsȱmentionȱinȱ Yajurved and Charaka Samhita.

Traditional sour milk products were primarily produced to prolong the shelf-

life of milk and for pleasant sensory properties. Fermented milk products got a

wholeȱnewȱreputationȱwhenȱElieȱMetchnikoffȱinȱ1907ȱhypothesizedȱthatȱreplacingȱ

or diminishing the number of ‘putrefactive’ bacteria in the gut with lactic acid

bacteria could normalize bowel health and prolong life. After more than half

aȱ centuryȱ theȱ termȱ probioticsȱ wasȱ coinedȱ toȱ reflectȱ Metchnikoff’sȱ idea,ȱ muchȱ

progress has been made since in terms of the fermentation of dairy products.

Probioticsȱareȱprovenȱeffectiveȱinȱgastrointestinalȱdiseasesȱalongȱwithȱsuccessfulȱ

reports in treating allergy, cancer, diabetes to depression.Sales in Western Europe

grew to 8 billion U.S. dollars by 2014. The most developed markets for probiotic

foods were Europe and Japan, accounting for more than half of total sales.The

Indian probiotic scenario is expected to to grow at a CAGR of 25% during 2014-

2019 as reported by the Dairy Industry in India. At this point it is imperative

toȱdevelopȱandȱpromoteȱindigenousȱprobioticȱstrainsȱandȱmakeȱseriousȱeffortsȱ

to explore the novel functional physiological properties of the enormous Indian

microbial diversity.

Keywords: bacteria, fermentation, indigenous, strains.