Role of probiotics and prebiotics in digestion, metabolism, and immunity

Probiotics are microbes that help maintain and stabilize the intestinal flora, resist pathogenic colonization in the gastrointestinal tract, modulate the immune system, improve vitamin synthesis, absorption of mineral salts, and enhance the production of short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocin, and other antimicrobial substances. Prebiotic substances are nondigestible oligosaccharides that influence the intestinal flora by improving the microbial flora’s saccharolytic activity. The development of the microbial flora starts at birth and gets altered with varying physiological changes that occur with aging. Multiple studies have shown that probiotics and prebiotics help manage several disease conditions, including infectious and inflammatory conditions. Their roles in metabolism have also been well explored. This chapter briefly discusses the role of probiotics and prebiotics in digestion, metabolism, and immunity.