BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTICS

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTICS

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROBIOTICS

Summary

The history of probiotics began with observations of fermented foods in ancient times, the recognition of bacterial symbiosis for health benefits by Metchnikoff and Tissier in the early 20th century, continued through definition and classification milestones in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and by 2025 has expanded into biotechnology, personalized therapy, and new directions for comprehensive health. Probiotics have been proven beneficial, from supporting digestion, immunity, cardiovascular, mental, liver, kidney, skin health, reducing the risk of various diseases … to extensive applications in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Each stage has involved concepts, contributors, and major organizations, recorded in scientific literature and international guidelines, typically FAO/WHO and ISAPP.

1. Origin and Development of the Term “Probiotic”

  • Since ancient times, fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, beer, wine have been used to promote health in many cultures including Egypt, Rome, the Middle East. [1][2][3][4][5]
  • In 1905, Élie Metchnikoff observed that Bulgarians lived longer thanks to fermented milk, initiated the idea of “beneficial bacteria” and proposed using lactic acid bacteria to prolong life and reduce the negative effects of abnormal gut microbiota. [1][3][6][7][8]
  • Henry Tissier (1906) discovered Bifidobacterium in the stool of healthy infants, suggesting supplementation for diarrheal patients to restore the microbiome. [2][4][9]
  • The term “probiotic” was coined by Lilly & Stillwell (1965), originally referring to “a factor originating from microorganisms that stimulates the growth of other microorganisms.” [6][7]
    • Modern definition: “Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” (FAO/WHO 2001, ISAPP 2013). [4][10][11]

2. Major Milestones and Theoretical Additions Over Time

  • 1920s-1940s: Research on the role of lactic acid bacteria in humans, evidence for improvement in digestion, dermatology, immunity. [3]
  • After 1970: A broader definition for probiotics, applications in women, children, urinary tract, diabetes… [3][9][12]
  • 2001: FAO/WHO issued guidance for probiotic evaluation, recommended standardizing beneficial bacteria in food and pharmaceuticals, laying the foundation for a global market. [4][10][11]
  • 2013: ISAPP consolidated terminology, guidance on clinical benefits, safety, product standards. [11]
  • 2020-2025: Emerging concepts such as “personalization”, “microbiome”, “gut-brain axis”, “postbiotics”, “synbiotics”, “engineered probiotics”. [6][7][13][14]

3. Established Applications and Benefits of Probiotics

  • Enhanced digestion, support for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea, prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. . [1][6][7][15]
  • Effective prevention and support of immune-related diseases (allergies, ulcerative colitis, influenza) [1][9][15]
  • Lowering blood cholesterol, reducing cardiovascular risk, prevention of gastrointestinal cancers. .[1][15]
  • Supporting the gut-brain axis affecting mental health, sleep, stress. [16]
  • Advances in probiotic technology: dairy/pharmaceutical fermentation products, microencapsulation, bioengineered probiotics. . [6][12] [13]

4. Processing Forms, Production and Commercialization of Probiotics

  • From traditional foods (yogurt, kefir, cheese) to functional foods, capsules, beverages, medical products. [1][9][10]
  • Production process: strain selection, survival protection (microencapsulation, protein carrier…), quantity testing, standard quality assessment (FAO/WHO, FDA, EFSA). [5][9][12]
  • Trend towards personalization, combining with prebiotic/synbiotic, integrating AI for strain selection/treatment. [6][13][14]

5. Progressing Issues and New Trends in 2025

  • Continued research on mechanisms, personalization of products, advanced biotechnology applications, expansion to nonfood, cosmetic benefits, metabolic disease, whole-body microbiome. [6][13][14] [15]
  • Safety concerns, quality control, clinical effect verification, and international standards certification are increasingly emphasized. [7][10] [11]

MAIN REFERENCES

1.   Ozen M, Dinleyici EC. "The history of probiotics: the untold story." Benef Microbes. 2015;6(2):159-165. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25576593/

2.   Puebla-Barragan S, et al. "Forty-five-year evolution of probiotic therapy." PMC. 2019. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6444557/

3.   McFarland LV. "The History, Development, and Current Use of Probiotics." Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(suppl_2):S85-S90. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-pdf/60/suppl_2/S85/20912848/civ054.pdf

4.   FAO/WHO. "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food." FAO Knowledge Repository. 2002. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/382476b3-4d54-4175-803f-2f26f3526256/content

5.   Hill C et al. "The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on probiotics." Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2014. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2014.66

OTHER REFERENCES

6.   "The Probiotic Chronicle: A Journey Through Time." Synbalance Care. 2025. https://www.synbalance.care/science-room/article/the-probiotic-chronicle-a-journey-through-time/

7.   Wikipedia, Probiotic Definition and History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic

8.   Latif et al. "Probiotics: mechanism of action, health benefits and their applications." PMC, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10470842/

9.   Manan MA, et al. "The role of probiotics in personalized therapeutics." ScienceDirect, 2025. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950194625002651

10.   Dobrogosz WJ. "Evolution of the Probiotic Concept: From ...", ScienceDirect, 2010. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0065216410720013

11.   NCCIH-NIH. "Brief History of Probiotics." https://www.nccih.nih.gov/training/videolectures/13/2

12.   Ramírez A. "Exploring the future of probiotics with innovations in formulation, delivery, and functional mechanisms." ScienceDirect, 2025. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212429225012052

13.   PMC. "Research status and development trends of probiotics in clinical application (2000-2025)." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12456187/

14.   IPA. "History and development of probiotics." https://ipa-biotics.org/resources/history/

15.   FAO/WHO. "Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria." https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/382476b3-4d54-4175-803f-2f26f3526256/content

16.   Seed.com. "How Long Do Probiotics Take To Work? A Science-Based Timeline Guide." https://seed.com/cultured/how-long-do-probiotics-take-to-work-science-based-timeline-guide/

17.   DrBrighten.com. "How Long Does It Take Probiotics to Work?" https://drbrighten.com/how-long-does-it-take-probiotics-to-work/

18.   Healthpath.com, "How Long Do Probiotics Take To Work." https://healthpath.com/gut-health/how-long-do-probiotics-take-to-work/

19.   DSM-firmenich.com, "The future of gut health: 5 Breakthrough trends from Probiota 2025." https://www.dsm-firmenich.com/en/businesses/health-nutrition-care/news/talking-nutrition/the-future-of-gut-health-5-breakthrough-trends-from-probiota-2025.html

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