Abstract

Madhu Rathore* and Kanika Sharma

ABSTRACT

Increased influx of probiotic products have been occurred in the Indian market during the last decade. However, there has been no systematic approach for evaluation of probiotics in food to ensure their safety and efficacy. Probiotics are known to confer several health benefits to human. In India, probiotic market has also been flourished in the form of dairy based probiotic products, fortified foods, soy based products etc. Attempts have also been made towards enhancement of shelf life of probiotic products by encapsulation and other technical approaches. Probiotics have found application as both food as well as medicine. There is need to isolate the strains very carefully screened for the probiotic characteristics. Regular consumption of probiotics could reduce the dependence on drugs and medical expenses. This review keeping in mind the Indian scenario aims to evaluate the health benefits of probiotics in food and pharmaceutical sectors, the existing knowledge in rural population and the current Indian market for probiotics.