Abstract/Summary

Probiotics are live microbial feed additions that improve human or animal health. Their activities are towards improving the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota in a manner that reduces the risk of disorder. In some cases, probiotics are also used therapeutically. Most probiotics use lactobacilli or bifidobacteria as the main constituents. These produce lactic acid as well as other anti-pathogenic attributes. Traditionally, probiotics are incorporated in dairy products (yoghurts or fermented drinks) or in lyophilised form. Because of stability and viability factors, heated products are not usually a target for probiotic use. This is because they are temperature sensitive. However, a spore-forming genus would have the ability to overcome this limitation. Here, we discuss evidence for the spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus coagulans as a probiotic.