Antimicrobial and Antioxidative Probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3

Aging of population, new emerging infections, allergies as well as atherosclerosis and cardio- vascular diseases have become serious problems for world community. There is a clear need for healthy nutrition and development of functional food (FF), including probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial microbes that consumed as FF normalize the composition of the intestinal microbiota, improve the immune and metabolic functions of host. This book presents the strain Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 as a novel antimicrobial and a unique antioxidative probiotic. The functional properties of the ME-3 include both high antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens and high antioxidative activity which makes the strain a perfect natural protector against oxidative stress. The probiotic ME-3 was elaborated according to the regulations of WHO/FAO (2002). The special industrial technology has been developed for incorporation of the probiotic into cheese and milk products in Estonia. The book should help to shed some light on the aspects of elaboration of probiotic FF and could be useful to students of (bio)medicine or to anybody who is interested in “good bugs”.