Synbiotics and Their Antioxidant Properties, Mechanisms, and Benefits on Human and Animal Health: A Narrative Review

Antioxidants are often associated with a variety of anti-aging compounds that can ensure human and animal health longevity. Foods and diet supplements from animals and plants are the common exogenous sources of antioxidants. However, microbial-based products, including probiotics and their derivatives, have been recognized for their antioxidant properties through numerous studies and clinical trials. While the number of publications on probiotic antioxidant capacities and action mechanisms is expanding, that of synbiotics combining probiotics with prebiotics is still emerging. Here, the antioxidant metabolites and properties of synbiotics, their modes of action, and their different effects on human and animal health are reviewed and discussed. Synbiotics can generate almost unlimited possibilities of antioxidant compounds, which may have superior performance compared to those of their components through additive or complementary effects, and especially by synergistic actions. Either combined with antioxidant prebiotics or not, probiotics can convert these substrates to generate antioxidant compounds with superior activities. Such synbiotic-based new routes for supplying natural antioxidants appear relevant and promising in human and animal health prevention and treatment. A better understanding of various component interactions within synbiotics is key to generating a higher quality, quantity, and bioavailability of antioxidants from these biotic sources.

Applications of Probiotic-Based Multi-Components to Human, Animal and Ecosystem Health: Concepts, Methodologies, and Action Mechanisms

Probiotics and related preparations, including synbiotics and postbiotics, are living and non-living microbial-based multi-components, which are now among the most popular bioactive agents. Such interests mainly arise from the wide range and numerous beneficial effects of their use for various hosts. The current minireview article attempts to provide an overview and discuss in a holistic way the concepts, methodologies, action mechanisms, and applications of probiotic-based multi-components in human, animal, plant, soil, and environment health. Probiotic-based multi-component preparations refer to a mixture of bioactive agents, containing probiotics or postbiotics as main functional ingredients, and prebiotics, protectants, stabilizers, encapsulating agents, and other compounds as additional constituents. Analyzing, characterizing, and monitoring over time the traceability, performance, and stability of such multi-component ingredients require relevant and sensitive analytical tools and methodologies. Two innovative profiling and monitoring methods, the thermophysical fingerprinting thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry technique (TGA-DSC) of the whole multi-component powder preparations, and the Advanced Testing for Genetic Composition (ATGC) strain analysis up to the subspecies level, are presented, illustrated, and discussed in this review to respond to those requirements. Finally, the paper deals with some selected applications of probiotic-based multi-components to human, animal, plant, soil and environment health, while mentioning their possible action mechanisms.

PRACTICAL USE OF GOAT MILK AND COLOSTRUM

This review presents the protein and amino acid composition of both goat colostrums and milk and describes the properties of goat colostrums and milk components. In addition, the prospects of use of goat milk and colostrum in the food and cosmetics industry and the feasibility of use of goat milk for baby feeding are shown. Functional foods produced from goat milk have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antihypertensive and antiatherogenic activities in the human body. Goat milk cosmetics are very useful for maintaining a healthy skin and are effective in treatment of various skin diseases. Infant formula based on goat milk provides comfortable digestion for babies and are better at absorbing proteins, fats and other nutrients than infant formula based on cow’s milk.