• EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FACTORS AFFECTING SURVIVAL OF PROBIOTIC LIVING CELLS DURING DESICCATION

Abstract

Probiotics are defined as ‘live micro-organisms which confer a health benefit on host while being consumed in adequate amounts. This paper discusses drying process of these micro-organisms to minimize cell death and the research done on the improvement of probiotic bacteria survival during drying and subsequent storage. The preferred method for long term storage of microbial cultures with maintained cell viability is drying. The process of dehydration exposures probiotic bacteria to a variety of stresses including extremely high or low temperatures, oxygen and osmotic stresses which lead to the loss of viability during the process and subsequent storage. The aim of this review is to discuss the process of producing dried probiotic cultures in steps, to determine the ways leading to the highest cell viability.