In general, probiotics are defined as beneficial microorganisms that, following oral administration, are able to colonize the intestine and promote the maintenance of a physiological ecosystem by directly or indirectly strengthening the natural defenses of the intestine.

International guidelines require that this definition be associated with other characteristics, in particular the ability to pass the stomach and bile acid barrier, the growth inhibition of pathogenic bacteria, the stimulation of the immune system, colonization and persistence in the intestine as well as adherence to intestinal mucosa.

Probiotics can be used to reestablish the balance of the intestinal flora disturbed by antibiotics treatment or other causes of intestinal dysbiosis, in cases of diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics, or as adjuvants in atopic dermatitis, in vaginosis and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.