Editing Probiotic (section)

== General research ==
=== Formulations ===
Supplements such as tablets, capsules, powders, and sachets containing bacteria have been studied.  However, probiotics taken orally can be destroyed by the acidic conditions of the stomach.  As of 2010, a number of [[microencapsulation]] techniques were being developed to address this problem.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Islam MA, Yun CH, Choi YJ, Cho CS |year=2010 |title=Microencapsulation of live probiotic bacteria |url=http://www.jmb.or.kr/submission/Journal/020/JMB020-10-01_FDOC_1.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology |volume=20 |issue=1367–1377 |pages=1367–1377 |doi=10.4014/jmb.1003.03020 |pmid=21030820 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506083823/http://www.jmb.or.kr/submission/Journal/020/JMB020-10-01_FDOC_1.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-06 |access-date=2011-01-28}}</ref>

=== Multiple probiotics ===
Preliminary research is evaluating the potential [[physiology|physiological]] effects of multiple probiotic strains, as opposed to a single strain.<ref name="pmid15454313">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Timmerman HM, Koning CJ, Mulder L, Rombouts FM, Beynen AC |date=November 2004 |title=Monostrain, multistrain and multispecies probiotics – A comparison of functionality and efficacy |journal=Int. J. Food Microbiol. |volume=96 |issue=3 |pages=219–233 |doi=10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.05.012 |pmid=15454313}}</ref><ref name="pmid18785988">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Williams EA, Stimpson J, Wang D, Plummer S, Garaiova I, Barker ME, Corfe BM |date=September 2008 |title=Clinical trial: a multistrain probiotic preparation significantly reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a double-blind placebo-controlled study |journal=Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=97–103 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03848.x |pmid=18785988 |doi-access=free |s2cid=12217513}}</ref> As the human gut may contain tens of thousands of microbial species, one theory indicates that this diverse environment may benefit from consuming multiple probiotic strains, an effect that remains scientifically unconfirmed.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

=== Strains ===
Only preliminary evidence exists for most probiotic health claims. Even for the most studied probiotic [[Strain (biology)|strains]], few have been sufficiently developed in basic and clinical research to warrant approval for [[health claim]] status by a regulatory agency such as the FDA or EFSA, and {{As of|2010|lc=y}}, no claims had been approved by those two agencies.<ref name="bridging" /> Some experts are skeptical about the efficacy of different probiotic strains and believe that not all subjects benefit from probiotics.<ref name="bridging" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bee |first=Peta |date=November 10, 2008 |title=Probiotics, not so friendly after all? |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article1788597.ece |url-status=live |access-date=18 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511112331/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article1788597.ece |archive-date=11 May 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Storage temperature===
Multiple studies have shown that there is a significant difference in the survival rate of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium under refrigerated (4&nbsp;°C) and room temperature (25&nbsp;°C) storage conditions. At room temperature (25±1&nbsp;°C), the number of  probiotics decreased by 5 to 6 logarithmic units (down to 1/100,000) after 90 days of storage. In contrast, no significant change in the number of probiotics was observed under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 1&nbsp;°C).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dhewa |first1=T. |last2=Pant |first2=S. |last3=Mishra |first3=Vijendra |date=January 2014 |title=Development of freeze dried synbiotic formulation using a probiotic strain of Lactobacillus plantarum |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |language=en |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=83–89 |doi=10.1007/s13197-011-0457-2 |issn=0022-1155 |pmc=3857416 |pmid=24426051}}</ref>