An Updated Review on Probiotic Production and Applications
and Vaddi Damodara Reddy 1,3,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
After reviewing the submitted manuscript titled “An Updated Review on Probiotic Production and Applications”, that aims to provide the potential information essential for the screening and strain selection, production, and application necessary for probiotic researchers, I have the following observations and comments:
The manuscript is well written, comprehensive, structurally and scientifically sound with proper flow, however, there are some aspects of the manuscript that needs more attention and additional information should be provided:
1 Please highlight what is different in this review compared to other reviews published concerning this topic. What new aspects of information is covered in this review, what is new? This should be mentioned briefly in the abstract and introduction part.
2. I do recommend to change the keywords.
3. You state in the manuscript that “Probiotics are a novel idea that researchers came up with to restore the host system's beneficial microbial flora”. Is this idea really so novel?
4. Line 44 – please provide the abbreviation for Food and Agriculture Organization in the brackets as later in the text you mentioned just abbreviation – FAO.
5. English language should be checked.
Apart from this, the manuscript is of scientific interest and after these points will be adjusted, I would recommend this manuscript for publication.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
English language should be checked and minor editing is required in some terms usage.
Author Response
Reviewer 1: After reviewing the submitted manuscript titled “An Updated Review on Probiotic Production and Applications”, which aims to provide the potential information essential for the screening and strain selection, production, and application necessary for probiotic researchers, I have the following observations and comments:
The manuscript is well written, comprehensive, structurally and scientifically sound with proper flow, however, there are some aspects of the manuscript that need more attention and additional information should be provided:
- Please highlight what is different in this review compared to other reviews published concerning this topic. What new aspects of information is covered in this review, what is new? This should be mentioned briefly in the abstract and introduction part.
Answer: The distinction between this review and earlier published reviews was stated in the abstract and introduction sections. We also emphasized the new aspects covered in this review and the same was highlighted in blue colour in the revised manuscript.
- I do recommend to change the keywords.
Answer: As suggested by the reviewer Keywords have been changed
- You state in the manuscript that“Probiotics are a novel idea that researchers came up with to restore the host system's beneficial microbial flora”. Is this idea really so novel?
Answer: This is not novel, it has been in practice for many years. We have removed that sentence as it creates confusion for readers.
- Line 44 – Please provide the abbreviation for Food and Agriculture Organization in the brackets as later in the text you mentioned just abbreviation – FAO.
Answer: Corrected
- English language should be checked.
Answer: The English language was corrected by an English language expert.
Apart from this, the manuscript is of scientific interest and after these points are adjusted, I would recommend this manuscript for publication.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe review of this topic is very vast and certainly a multidisciplinary excursion has been undertaken which only partially involves disorders of the digestive system. Therefore a nutritional or general profile magazine is recommended as "Nutrients" or "Microorganisms".
Author Response
Reviewer 2:
The review of this topic is very vast and certainly a multidisciplinary excursion has been undertaken which only partially involves disorders of the digestive system. Therefore a nutritional or general profile magazine is recommended as "Nutrients" or "Microorganisms".
Response: According to the reviewer, this review covers the majority of the relevant themes linked to probiotics under one umbrella. The potential information provided in this review is essential for the screening and strain selection, production, and application necessary for probiotic researchers
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe functionalization of food represents a great alternative to a healthier diet. This review emphasizes the potential of food functionalization in promoting healthier food choices. However, inherent factors of food matrices, processing steps, and storage conditions make the process difficult, and therefore, few categories of functional foods are still available for commercialization. Among these challenges, there is research that addresses the high costs associated with modern processing.
Notes on the manuscript:
1. The information on the minimum dose of probiotic to induce a therapeutic effect (in log cfu/g) should be completed, as 106 cfu/g or ml only applies to one type of probiotic.
2. In section 2.2, clarify and provide full names of strains (e.g. Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis bb-12). You write too generally - probiotics - and yet their effect depends on the strain.
3. When writing about yoghurts as probiotics, you must list the strains, as yoghurts are mostly made with commercial strains and not probiotic strains. The same applies to LAB.
In dairy production, the use of probiotics for production is always written on the product label.
4. In section 2.5. add some examples (at what pH does Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 develop optimally, and at what pH does Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis bb-12, develop optimally, and what temperature ?).
5. In section 2.6, as you know, the main carbon source for bacteria is sugars. Add some examples of which sugars your chosen probiotic strain ferments.
6. Throughout chapter 6, add examples of the use of probiotic strains in the treatment of human diseases.
Author Response
Reviewer 3:
The functionalization of food represents a great alternative to a healthier diet. This review emphasizes the potential of food functionalization in promoting healthier food choices. However, inherent factors of food matrices, processing steps, and storage conditions make the process difficult, and therefore, few categories of functional foods are still available for commercialization. Among these challenges, there is research that addresses the high costs associated with modern processing.
Notes on the manuscript:
- The information on the minimum dose of probiotic to induce a therapeutic effect (in log cfu/g) should be completed, as 106cfu/g or ml only applies to one type of probiotic.
Answer: Corrected in the revised manuscript
- In section 2.2, clarify and provide the full names of strains (e.g. Bifidobacterium animaliss sp. lactic-12). You write too generally - probiotics - and yet their effect depends on the strain.
Answer: Full names were provided as suggested by the reviewer.
- When writing about yoghurts as probiotics, you must list the strains, as yoghurts are mostly made with commercial strains and not probiotic strains. The same applies to LAB.
In dairy production, the use of probiotics for production is always written on the product label.
Answer: I agree with the reviewer; most yoghurts are prepared from commercially available strains. Section 2.4 of the updated paper contains information on commercially available strains for producing yoghurts. The specifications of the probiotic strain and its application are provided on the product label.
- In section 2.5. add some examples (at what pH does Lactobacillus acidophilusLA-5 develop optimally, and at what pH does Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis bb-12, develop optimally, and at what temperature ?).
Answer: As suggested by the reviewer in section 2.5 few examples were given in the revised manuscript.
- In section 2.6, as you know, the main carbon source for bacteria is sugars. Add some examples of which sugars your chosen probiotic strain ferments.
Answer: As suggested by the reviewer few examples were added in the revised manuscript.
- Throughout chapter 6, add examples of the use of probiotic strains in the treatment of human diseases.
Answer: As suggested by the reviewer examples were added appropriately under each section in the revised manuscript and the same was highlighted in blue colour.
