Chronic and acute gut disorders are a major and growing societal and financial concern. The pharmaceutical approach has been enormously valuable for treating disease. However, there has been an increasing emphasis on dietary-based approaches that reduce risk and act in a prophylactic manner. This is the basis of the “functional foods” concept, whereby dietary ingredients are used for purposes over and above their normal nutritional value1. The “Global Market Review of Functional Foods” estimates the worldwide functional food market will reach a value of at least $90.5 billion by 2013. The emergence of health-conscious consumers with a proactive approach of “prevention over cure” and the development of nutritional science have driven the growth of functional foods. Currently, around 60% of functional foods in use are targeted toward gastrointestinal health.

Probiotics and Prebiotics
The biological and clinical importance of the gut microflora in humans is becoming increasingly recognized by consumers and healthcare workers. Although it is known many disease states involve bacterial metabolism, the human gut microbiota may also be considered as extremely relevant for an improvement in host health2. For instance, Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli can improve resistance to gut infections by directly inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, improving the immune response and producing vitamins. More speculatively, they have been implicated in reducing cholesterol levels, decreasing genotoxic markers and alleviating inflammatory conditions. Scientific concepts underpinning directed modulation of the human gut microflora towards a more beneficial composition have had probiotics as a principal focus.