The use of phycocyanins, purified or as present in cyanobacterial microalgae or extracts thereof, as prebiotics, to enhance the viability, gastrointestinal survival, pathogen-fighting ability, and the overall health-enhancing properties of probiotic cultures and products.

摘要

The use of probiofics has become very widespread as a way to sustain gastrointestinal and general health. However, not all probiotic bacteria are effective, due to poor viability, inability to survive the gastrointestinal passage, to kill pathogens and colonize the gut. That is why pre-biotic substances are usually added to sustain, nourish, protect probiotic bacteria, make them stronger and increase their overall health-enhancing properties. We have found, for the first time, that phycocyanins from cyanobacterial algae, added to the culturing of probiotic or to probiotic products, are very effective as prebiotics, being able to strengthen probiotic bacteria's viability, resistance, pathogens-fighting ability and overall ability of probiotics to sustain human and animal health.