**3. Meat and dairy products as a functional agent**

#### **3.1 Dairy Products**

Authors have considered different traditional dairy products such as yogurt, milk and cheese as a functional products as these are rich source of various vitamins and minerals and other constituents that can be used as functional agents [84]. Such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and Selenium, that play an important role in lowering the serum cholesterol level thus preventing the atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases also having antioxidant functions in the body [85].

Yogurt is a traditional dairy product that was prescribed by physicians in Middle East as a treatment of gastrointestinal diseases [86]. Yogurt is manufactured using *Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus* which both work in synergism. Health benefits of yogurt can be enhanced by the addition of probiotic bacteria in yogurt such as *Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus* and *L. rhamnosus* [87]. Yogurt has been used a food source consisting of probiotic organism throughout the world.

A wide variety of fermented milks have also been developed and various health benefits were linked with the consumption of fermented milks such as lowering of cholesterol. They also contain the important probiotics strains that are involved in improving the health [88].

Probiotic cheeses are available in soft as well as hard varieties. Various Probiotic Strains such as *Bifidobacterium and L. rhamnosus* are readily used in such cheeses and these cheeses can be beneficial source of Probiotics [89].

#### **3.2 Meat products**

Meat products are good source of protein and fat along with water and other vitamins which are highly bioavailable. Meat products can be made highly beneficial for health either by incorporating any ingredient in it that is considered healthy or eliminating or reducing any component that can be considered harmful [90].

Fatty acid and cholesterol level of meat can be modified by selecting different breeds, modifying the feed patterns, addition of some feed additives and several interventions regarding animal metabolism [91].

Similarly addition of olive oil to variety of meat products was thought to be associated with the high biological value and decrease onset of breast cancer and heart diseases [92].

Soy protein can also be added into the meat products. In 1999, US FDA stated that any product low in saturated fats and cholesterol containing 25 g of soy proteins may be helpful in preventing the cardiovascular diseases [93].

Lipid oxidation is the major issue in meat products thus instead of using synthetic antioxidants that pose toxicity and other harmful effects can be replaced by the antioxidants from the plat source such as rosemary, tea, etc. Green tea is associated with reducing the level of Cholesterol in body as well as increasing the portion of High density Lipoproteins and decreased the oxidation of lipoproteins [90, 94, 95].

Addition of salt for the preservation purpose can lead to high percentage of salt intake and can lead to the development of hypertension. Several substitutes were assessed and one of the best substitute was the addition of calcium ascorbate. This substitute causes higher acidification due to the fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. Replacement of salt with Calcium ascorbate helped in reducing the sodium chloride level as well enriching the meat with nutrition [96].

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*Therapeutic Potential of Probiotics and Prebiotics DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86762*

compare to chemical treatment.

**4.1 Mode of action of prebiotics**

resident microbes.

• They produce bateriocins.

carbohydrates.

Important modes of action of prebiotics are:

• Prebiotics do cause intestinal homeostasis.

• Host surface receptors are coated by prebiotics.

Prebiotics are the food that is not digested in the human gut but food ingredients

• These are non-digestible carbohydrates that are not digested by the upper gastrointestinal tract and travel in the ileum and colon where fermented by the

• Favorable bacteria produce short chain fatty acids with the help of non-digestible

Fermentation of resistant starches and dietary fiber caused by bacteria in colon release short chain fatty acid metabolites (SCFA). SCFA are well known for gut health as well as their part in provision of supplementary energy to the host in fatness is in debate. On contrary, 10% of entire energy in humans is provided by SCFA. According to energy yield hypothesis, dysbioticmicrobiomes have an amplified capacity to remove energy from the food, so that the bacterial conversion of non-digestible carbohydrates and dietary fiber to SCFAs could give additional energy to the host and result fatness of individual over time. Likewise, G-protein coupled receptors (GPR) can sense SCFAs that tie them with lipid and glucose breakdown. SCFAs activate the two major proteins, GPR41 and GPR43 which are expressed on adipocytes and enter endocrine L cells. Peptide YY is released by stimulation of intestinal GPR41 which enhances gut passage time and increase satiety. Inflammation lessens by activation of intestinal GPR43 as well as it simulates glucagon-like peptide (GLP), a hormone which contributes in regulation of insulin secretion. Enteroendocrine L cells express GLP-1 as well as secrete the gut-trophic

• Short-chain fatty acids are the energy source of epithelial cells.

**4.2 Targets for prebiotics: gut microbiota and intestinal health**

• They regulate metabolic function and modulate immune system [98].

boost the growth and activity of bacteria that are good for our intestine, consequently they balance the intestine of an organism [97]. The most commonly used bacteria that are good for our health is amplified by prebiotics comprise of genus *Bifidobacterium* and *Lactobacillus,* which control the growth of harmful bacteria. Most commonly used prebiotics are mannan-oligosaccharides, galactoglucomannans, lactose, inulin and oligofructose. Short chain carbohydrates used as prebiotics consist of three to ten sugar units derived from the cell wall of yeast and plants. Prebiotics functionality are not alter by any food processing treatment and require little or no regulatory requirements, hence making their consumption more easy as

**4. Prebiotics**
