The understanding that probiotic foods can have beneficial effects on health has recently led to an increase in consumer demand for such products, and to an increase in their commercial value. Daily intake of probiotic micro-organisms, such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, contributes to maintaining and improving the balance of intestinal microbe populations, and their presence in high numbers poses a severe obstacle to gastro-intestinal disturbances and improves well-being of the organism by reinforcing its natural defences. In products destined for human consumption, probiotic bacteria are mainly incorporated in fermented milk products, such as yoghurt and milk derivatives, or in pharmaceutical preparations. However, there is a chance that the use of milk-based products may be limited by allergies and intolerances, so research is currently aimed at developing probiotic plant products which enable people to consume beneficial micro-organisms in other foods. A group of researchers at the Institute of Sciences of Food Production in Bari felt they had the necessary skills and background in microbiology aimed at improving the nutritional quality of foods, so they decided to develop a product based on table olives which would enable probiotic bacteria to be administered. The use of table olives to "transport" micro-organisms that are beneficial for the gastro-intestinal tract ensures the integrity of the bacteria and the stability of the populations during the transfer into the human gastro-intestinal tract and enables their release in viable conditions. A portion of 10 olives can provide between 10 million and 1 billion live probiotic bacteria cells. In particular, cells from a probiotic strain of L. paracasei, anchored to the surface of the olives in food tests, colonised the intestines of volunteers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the new product at "transporting" sizeable populations of beneficial probiotic bacteria. This new functional food is mainly aimed at consumers who can make only limited use of probiotic milk-based foods, and helps in the prophylaxis of gastro-intestinal diseases and in situations where the immune defences need boosting. Negotiations are currently under way with an Italian manufacturer and a private Dutch company specialising in functional products, to produce this CNR-patented food on an industrial scale. Further studies are being carried out with gastroenterology experts to test the effectiveness of the product in vivo.
Focus