Consumer demands for foods promoting health while preventing diseases have led to development of functional foods that contain probiotic bacteria. Fermented dairy products are good substrates for probiotic delivery, but the large number of lactose intolerant people, their high fat and cholesterol content and also due to the growing vegetarianism the consumers are seeking for alternatives. Therefore, researches have been widely studied the feasibility of probiotic bacteria in non-dairy products such as fruits, vegetables, and cereals. This review describes the application of probiotic cultures in non-dairy food products.

Milks from nontraditional animal species (i.e., donkey, camel, and buffalo) are recently gaining momentum mainly due to the fact that they are considered suitable to supplement the needs of special population groups (i.e., infants, the elderly). Research on donkey milk has dramatically increased over the past few years; therefore, this review aims to critically summarize the current research, offering an insight into its unique functional properties, namely, antimicrobial activity, immunomodulation, and hypoallergenicity, especially highlighting their effect on human health. The microbiological and chemical safety, the nutritional profile, and donkey milk’s technology are also discussed. Moreover, new promising research grounds are proposed to be explored in order to add to existing knowledge.