This review aims to bring a more general view of the technological and biological challenges regarding production and use of probiotic bacteria in promoting human health. After a brief description of the current concepts, the challenges for the production at an industrial level are presented from the physiology of the central metabolism to the ability to face the main forms of stress in the industrial process. Once produced, these cells are processed to be commercialized in suspension or dried forms or added to food matrices. At this stage, the maintenance of cell viability and vitality is of paramount for the quality of the product. Powder products requires the development of strategies that ensure the integrity of components and cellular functions that allow complete recovery of cells at the time of consumption. Finally, once consumed, probiotic cells must face a very powerful set of physicochemical mechanisms within the body, which include enzymes, antibacterial molecules and sudden changes in pH. Understanding the action of these agents and the induction of cellular tolerance mechanisms is fundamental for the selection of increasingly efficient strains in order to survive from production to colonization of the intestinal tract and to promote the desired health benefits.

The diversity of endophytic fungi in healthy coconut palm leaves (Cocos nucifera) was assessed by analyzing fungal isolates from three coconut cultivars (yellow dwarf, green dwarf, and a hybrid cultivar PB121) used agriculturally in Brazil. The influence of season (rainy or dry) on the endophytic fungal community was also analyzed. Overall, 318 fungal isolates were obtained from 972 coconut leaf fragments. The rDNA ITS region was sequenced from representative species of the isolated endophytic fungi and the most common species identified were Nigrospora oryzae, Pestalotiopsis sp., and Zasmidium musae. The alpha diversity of the endophytic fungi was also calculated. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination and permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) revealed significant seasonal effects on the composition of the endophyte community. However, practically no influence was observed on the fungal communities for the different cultivars of coconut.

This study explored the prebiotic potential of africanized bee honeys from the Caatinga biome on the survival of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG in fermented beverages under refrigerated storage and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation. Among the samples tested, honey derived predominantly from Myracrodruon urundeuva (aroeira-do-campo) exhibited the most pronounced protective effect. After 28 days of refrigeration, this formulation retained a viable bacterial load above 8 Log CFU/mL, compared to a drastic decline to 3 Log CFU/mL in honey analog control. Under static GIT simulation, probiotic survival exceeded 92 % post-gastric phase, with the aroeira-do-campo formulation achieving full retention. Dynamic simulations confirmed these findings, with survival rates up to 88.2 % by flow cytometry, even under complex digestive stress. Additionally, the bee honeys supported lactic acid production and maintained physicochemical integrity, confirming their synbiotic functionality. These results clearly show the potential prebiotic effect of Caatinga honeys, including the differences in their botanical origin as effective carriers of bacterial probiotics, opening the way for stable, dairy-free functional beverages adapted to arid ecosystems. Furthermore, it reinforces the importance of maintaining the sustainability of an exclusive biome and hotspot of biological diversity with a high degree of endemism. In other words, studies like this that reinforce the value of ecosystem services are of fundamental importance for the implementation of public policies in favor of the conservation of these environments.