**Abstract**

Fermented milk has been developing alongside the history of human civilization. It is observed having positive effect on gastrointestinal health. It has reaches at the steps of explaining what happens in the process, despite some information is still unclear. Fermentation involves many organisms, technique, biochemical reactions, tool and apparatus as well as cultural diversity among people and regions due to differences and changes in climate. Fermented milks, using milk as the raw material from bovine and non-bovine dairy species, and in some regions, especially in Asia and Africa, they also use materials from vegetable extracts. Some progress in Fermented Milk Science, has explained the role of such fermented foods for human health. These benefits have been more and more progressing to select specific microbes, known as probiotic cultures, which combined with specific substances from vegetable extract (prebiotic) could improve lactose digestion, role anti-cancer, anti-hypercholesteremic and anti-pathogenic bacteria as well as anti-virus were discussed in this article.

**Keywords:** fermented milks, probiotic and prebiotics, bovine and non-bovine milk, health benefits

### **1. Introduction**

Fermented milk having studying since long time and having the positive effect of selected microbiota on gastrointestinal health on human from different region in the world. Fermented milk acomposted largely lactic acid bacteria with history of save use. Lactic acid bacteria are considered as the best for prebiotic-containing fermented milk while preserving the taste and nutritional properties.

This review is presented since the definition of fermented milk manufacturing source of raw milk material (Bovine, small ruminans milk as well as vegetable milk) and it's benefit role for human being.

#### **2. Definition**

Fermentation is a process involving the (re) generation of ATP by microorganisms *via* the transformation of organic substances (in this case, lactose as a sugar in the milk); specific enzymes, produced by bacteria (thermophilic, mesophilic, or intestinal bacteria) or fungi as well as yeasts, acting as catalysts in this reaction. Several categories of fermented milk, which depend on the dominant final products are: alcoholic, lactic, acetic, butyric, propionic. Advances in fermented milk production technology has led to variety of products, naming more than 400 of local fermented milk, i.e.: Kefir, yakult, yoghurt, Ymer, Lang-fii, bifidus milk, acidophilus milk, koumiss, lassi, leben, shrikhand as well as cheese, that suit diverse cultural taste. According to the *Codex alimentarius*, fermented milk is a dairy product obtained by the fermentation of milk, which may have been made from products obtained from milk with or without any modification of their composition (within certain specified limits), *via* the action of corresponding microorganisms and which result in a lowered pH with or without coagulation (isoelectric precipitation).
