Probing the functional and therapeutic properties of postbiotics in relation to their industrial application.

Functional foods are gaining significant research attention of researchers due to their health-endorsing properties due to their bioactive components either living cells (probiotics) or nonviable cells (prebiotics). The term "postbiotic" specifies the soluble substances, such as enzymes, peptides, teichoic acids, muropeptides derived from peptidoglycans, polysaccharides, cell surface proteins, and organic acids, that are secreted by living bacteria or released after bacterial lysis. Due to various signaling molecules which may have antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, and antiproliferative activities, postbiotics offer great potential to be used in pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical industries, to promote health and ailment prevention. This recent review is a landmark of information relevant to the production of postbiotics along with salient features to use in various fields ranging from food to immunomodulation and selective and effective therapy. It also puts forward the concept that postbiotics are way more effective than probiotics in the veterinary, food as well as medical field which ultimately helps in reducing the disease burden along with human health.

Gut microbiota and synbiotic foods: Unveiling the relationship in COVID-19 perspective.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread across the globe and is causing widespread disaster. The impact of gut microbiota on lung disease has been widely documented. Diet, environment, and genetics all play a role in shaping the gut microbiota, which can influence the immune system. Improving the gut microbiota profile through customized diet, nutrition, and supplementation has been shown to boost immunity, which could be one of the preventative methods for reducing the impact of various diseases. Poor nutritional status is frequently linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can affect the immune system. This review emphasizes the necessity of maintaining an adequate level of important nutrients to effectively minimize inflammation and oxidative stress, moreover to strengthen the immune system during the COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, the purpose of this review is to present information and viewpoints on the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics as adjuvants for microbiota modification and its effects on COVID-19 prevention and treatment.