Postbiotics and viable probiotic ingestion strategy in supplements: a critical approach on health effectiveness and technological challenges

In the last decades, a growing demand for probiotic supplements has emerged. However, due to several factors including the biotic and abiotic stresses encountered during the production and passage through the oro-gastrointestinal tract, the intrinsic viability of probiotics results in a population of viable, viable but nonculturables, and dead cells so that also their efficacy is negatively affected. As a means to overcome these challenges, postbiotics, recently defined as “preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host,” are emerging. Nonetheless, even postbiotic supplements face challenges associated with both the production and ingestion. In this chapter, the foremost technological steps of probiotic supplements and postbiotics production and the challenges they undergo during the production and passage through the oro-gastrointestinal tract are reviewed. Finally, the pros and cons of postbiotics and probiotic supplements are highlighted.