Food Science and Technology 4(2): 15-22, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/fst.2016.040201 The Use of Prebiotics of Plant Origin in Functional Milk Products Ozge Ozcan 1 , Tulay Ozcan 2,* , Lutfiye Yilmaz-Ersan 2 , Arzu Akpinar-Bayizit 2 , Berrak Delikanli 2 1 Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Vocational College of Health Services, Kirklareli University, Turkey 2 Department of Food Engineering, Uludag University, Turkey Copyright©2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract A food that contains biologically active compounds/components which beneficially affects one or more target functions such as reduction of chronic diseases in the body along with its nutritional effects is named as “functional product”. Among these foods or beverages that are fortified through addition of exogenous functional compounds (i.e. prebiotics) or using microorganisms that produce biogenic compounds or have probiotic features (probiotics). Probiotics are described as cultures of live microorganisms that are beneficial to health when administered to humans or animals, improve properties of gastrointestinal microflora. Prebiotics cannot be digested by small intestinal enzymes but are fermented by probiotic bacteria the large intestine. Much research attention is focused on the combined use of probiotics and prebiotics, generally known as symbiotic, to get their synergistic health properties. This review provides an insight on the current knowledge about the potential sources of plant-based prebiotics used in dairy industry. Keywords Prebiotic, Probiotic, Plants 1. Introduction The food industry is currently focusing on which attribute is more important on consumers' preference. The global trend is the increasing demand for convenience and health-beneficiary foods, of which particularly boost the immune system, reduce the risk of disease, and enhance health. Such foods must fit into lifestyles of the society providing convenience of use, good sensorial attributes, and an acceptable price-value ratio [1]. The interest for such products constitutes current and future main research objectives in food innovations and has led to the development of foods defined as “functional foods”. Functional foods, can be described as “foods that contain some health-promoting component(s) beyond traditional nutrients” which demonstrate their effects in amounts that can normally be expected to be consumed in the diet, and are not pills or capsules, but part of the normal food pattern” [2-4]. In general, a food that nonetheless conveys consumers the essential nutrients but also extends its health benefits far beyond basic nutrition can be defined as functional food [5-7]. Milk is a complex mixture of components like biologically active substances i.e. immunoglobulin, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, oligosaccharides, fatty acids, saccharides, hormones, cytokines and growth factors which designates it as “physiologically functional” food [8]. The dairy industry has responded to consumers’ awareness and perception in functional foods by enhancing the existing health attributes of milk and milk products [9,10]. Development of functional milk products, i.e. yogurt, cheese and fermented drinks, containing probiotics and prebiotics could be an alternative to enhance health promoting microbial flora in the intestine, which depend on age, diet, stress, disease and drugs taken [11-13]. 2. Probiotics The word “probiotic” was initially used as an antonym of the word “antibiotic.” It is derived from Greek words pro- and biotos and translated as “for life” [14-17]. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) defined probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” [18]. In other words, probiotics are the microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) that can help to reestablish and recolonize the human intestinal microbiota to enhance beneficial health effects on the host [19]. Probiotic products with health claims should have viable microorganisms at levels of 10 6 –10 7 cfu mL -1 or cfu g -1 or even at higher levels at the time of consumption [20-23]. Some selected strains used in dairy food products as probiotics are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces (Table 1) [24-32].