Probiotic Cereal-Based Fermented Functional Foods

Functional foods are defi ned as those that are consumed in food form with the diet, do not contain synthetic compounds and reduce illness risks with their bioactive nutrients. In this way, they help optimize physical and mental well-being (Hardy 2000, Kedia et al. 2007, Noonan and Noonan 2004, Roberfroid 2000, Stanton et al. 2005). Functional foods can be classifi ed as those containing original bioactive compounds, and foods enriched with bioactive substances. Functional components in functional foods includes probiotics, prebiotics and bioactive compounds such as dietary fi ber, essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (Grajek et al. 2005). Probiotic microorganisms are a group of functional foods that have a benefi cial eff ect on the gastrointestinal system (Ray et al. 2014). The adequate number of probiotic microorganisms for these eff ects to occur is 106-107 cfu/g in 100 g of the food product (Rivera-Espinoza and Gallardo-Navarro 2010). The other most important group of functional foods are prebiotic substances. Prebiotics are mostly carbohydrate derivates that are not digested in the upper gastrointestinal system, and are fermented by colon microfl ora.