Spore-forming bacteria and their utilisation as probiotics

In this review article, the beneficial application of bacterial spore formers as probiotics in the food industry is discussed based on the knowledge gleaned from current publications. The summary of new scientific results provides evidence of the advantages of the utilisation of Bacillus or Clostridium strains in the food industry. Both bacteria are able to produce a very stable duration form: the endospore. Compared to the widely used lactic acid bacteria, bacterial spores offer the advantage of a higher survival rate during the acidic stomach passage and better stability during the processing and storage of the food product. In many food products, germination of the spores does not occur. Hence the product quality of the food is not affected because of their inactive metabolism. Besides the possible utilisation and functional properties, an overview of the fast-developing knowledge about the mechanisms of the beneficial health effects of spore-forming bacteria is provided.