Description of a Novel Probiotic Concept: Implications for the Modulation of the Immune System

It is estimated that the first processed food products consumed by humans pertained to the category of fermented foods and beverages such as beer, wine, sauerkraut, fermented sausage as well as fermented milk derivatives such as yogurt and kefir. Thus, fermented foods are endowed with undisputed healthy properties due to the presence of probiotic microbes that not only help supporting the healthy human microbiota, but also produce bioactive or bio-available metabolites that contribute to the host's wellbeing. It is widely acknowledged that modulation of the immune system is one of the beneficial effects associated with consuming fermented food products rich in live probiotics and this effect is being exploited in the field of natural immunotherapy. Here we describe the genesis and development of a novel, non-dairy product that may represent a novelty in the field of probiotic drinks since it combines the healthy properties of dairy-based products with the properties of non-dairy probiotic drinks. The major improvements over the existing non-dairy probiotic drinks consist in the number and diversity of probiotic strains endowed with health-promoting properties and in the presence of a glycosaminoglycan, chondroitin sulfate, that is, at the same time, a newly identified prebiotic and a supplement known to modulate the immune system.