Author:
Romario-Silva Diego,Akira Souza Sakaguchi Otavio,Cristina Barbosa da Silva Andrea,Orlandi Sardi Janaína,Parolina de Carvalho Rafaela,Magri Roque Sindy,Pires Silva Borges Lincoln,Barros Esteves Lins Rodrigo,Targino Campos Letícia,Maria Melo de Brito Costa Edja
Abstract
Probiotics are microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the human body. The intake of probiotics in adequate amounts can improve biological functions bringing improvements in the health of the host. Many studies have demonstrated the indisputable antimicrobial activity of probiotics and their potential for an alternative treatment of infections. Nevertheless, the forms of encapsulation, as well as clinical trials on the clinical use of these microorganisms as a recognized and well-established protocol, are still incipient. In this chapter, we provide a general approach to the topic and point to future directions in the probiotics field for this purpose. Moreover, microbial resistance is a current public health problem and the search for new therapeutic alternatives is urgent. Probiotics and other natural therapies have been considered very promising. The approaches of future research should focus mainly on the isolation of new probiotic microorganisms, the definition of inoculum, forms of encapsulation for controlled delivery, and clinical trials for the definition of doses and mechanism of action in the fight against infections.