The term probiotics, first used by Lilly and Stillwell (1965), originated from the Greek words “pro” and “bios” whichmean “for life” (Gismondo et al., 1999). Initially, probiotics were defined as substances that stimulate the growth of othermicroorganisms and since then the term probiotics has been defined in many different ways. In 2002, FAO/WHO changedthe meaning of probiotics and now they are defined as ‘live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amountsconfer a health benefit on the host’. According to ICMR-DBT-guidelines for evaluation of probiotics in food (2002), the globalprobiotic market generated US $15.9 billion in 2008 and is expected to be worth US$ 32.6 billion by 2014 with a compoundannual growth rate of 12.6% from 2009 to 2014, this is driven by the ageing population, rising cases of gastrointestinal diseaseand rising consumer consciousness for health-related issues.