This book proposes current and relevant information on the potentiality and opportunity that probiotics offer as natural, safe, and cost-effective solutions to improve human life, and solve the most devastator diseases of the 21st century. As existing microorganisms since many centuries, we are only trying to discover and better understand their roles, behaviors, mechanisms, and functionalities, which are beneficial for human, animal and plant species. Their use will undoubtedly be multiple and inevitable in the future through the extension of in vitro and in vivo tests, as well as clinical trials. Even though a large number of books have been written and published on probiotics and their potential functionalities in different aspects and specific areas, only a few ones collect and provide both thorough and pertinent information on the real possibilities of their use as natural solutions for food and non-food applications throughout the World. The present contribution aims at filling the gap in this context. Three main parts are included: (1) An overview of the international regulation and technological aspects of probiotic-containing product categories, the strain efficiency and safety assessments, and the principal probiotic strains and their metabolites; (2) An update and classification of the natural probiotic sources and their main health benefits, and the advances in physical chemistry tools for probiotic characterization; (3) A review of uncommon while prominent selected probiotic applications in food and non-food areas. The chapters result from the contribution of Authors from four continents, including Europe (IT, BE, SP), America (US), Asia (MY), and Africa (BJ, CI, BF), who have expertise in their specific fields. The book targets all interested people searching new, natural, efficient, and sustainable solutions for food quality and health care. These concern various professionals, from food technologists and industrial microbiologists to health and nutrition practitioners, through government regulatory agents.
