An Overview of Dairy Microflora

Abstract

An assembly of bacterial and fungal communities in the milk and dairy products presents a complete picture of dairy born microflora. Fermentation and pasteuri zation processes are crucial for the maintenance of microflora. Chemical compo sition and initial colonization of bacteria and fungi define the mutualistic pattern of microbial communities. The abundance and variety of microbial communities in milk are highly variable and depend upon many factors ranging from the health of milking animals to the milking practices, storage, and transportation methods. Probiotics are beneficial microbes, specifically lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) microorganisms that benefit the host physiology upon ingestion. Lactic acid bacteria are the predominant group in all dairy microbiota that display a diverse range of strains associated with the milk from different animals. Few dairy microbes behave as pathogens as well as the cause of food spoilage. Human diseases from milk-borne pathogens are usually due to raw milk or products made from raw milk. However, the enormous medicinal and health-promoting impact of microbes and their additives overcome the limited effects of few harmful bacteria in the dairy environment. In addition to the known advantages of dairy bacteria, the phenomenon of psychobiotics is introducing a new therapeutic channel for the treatment of many psychological disorders.