Mechanisms and applications of probiotics in healthcare industry

Probiotics have an important role in healthcare industry with a special focus on balancing and restoration of gut microbiota. Probiotics helps in nutritional balance as well as disease prevention of both gut and outside the gut. Probiotics belong to bacteria, fungi, and yeast with a predominant genus of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, etc. Probiotics with nutritive claims (nutribiotics) are associated with two subdivisions namely therapeutic and pharmacological probiotics; they are collectively termed as pharmabiotics. The probiotics are obtained from various conventional (diary product, breast milk, fecal) and nonconventional (soil, fruit, insect, fish) sources. Probiotics mode of action associated with epithelial cells in terms of increased adhesion to intestinal mucosa, competitive exclusion of pathogenic microorganisms, production of antimicrobial substances, immune modulation, interaction with tolllike receptors (TLRs), and interaction with NOD-like receptors and probiotics. Apart from all these sources and mode of action, this chapter discusses the probiotic selection guidelines as well as potential of probiotics in healthcare sectors including antibiotics, obesity, cancer, diabetic, heart diseases, and as immune-stimulant. Probiotics could be a powerful and effective medication for the treatment and recovery of COVID-19 patients. Thus, overall healthcare section is more closely associated with the probiotic microbes and as a result of human gut feelings.