| As many investigations have reported, there is a complicated relation between fermented foods,
lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and human health. It seems that bioactive components such as
prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics are key mediators of the complex and direct association
between these factors. LAB activity in the matrix of fermented foods and improving their growth
by prebiotic compounds ultimately results in the production of bioactive molecules (postbiotics),
which possess specific biological and physiological properties. The term “postbiotics” refers to a
complex of biological micro- and macromolecules, if consumed in adequate amounts, provides
the host with different health-promoting effects. Different reports have suggested that postbiotics
possess the ability to moderate the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce the side-effects
of conventional therapies in cancer patients due to their anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory
and anti-cancer properties. Consequently, postbiotics, for their unique characteristics, have
gained great scientific attention and are considered as a novel approach for adjuvant therapy in
patients with cancer. |