Global demand for functional foods has increased markedly, driven by growing interest in probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics due to their scientifically supported health-promoting properties. Probiotic beverages (PB) constitute a dynamic and fast-growing segment of this market. While most PB are dairy-based (DPB) and generally well accepted, certain population groups—such as individuals with lactose intolerance, milk protein allergies, or those following plant-based diets—are unable or unwilling to consume dairy products. Consequently, non-dairy probiotic beverages (NDPB) have emerged as promising alternatives, comprising a diverse array of fermented and non-fermented matrices that offer comparable health benefits. This narrative review integrates classical and emerging perspectives on probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, with a particular focus on the formulation and functionality of NDPB. It examines the microbial strains commonly used as probiotics and provides a comprehensive overview of commercially available NDPBs and products in development. Additionally, the review outlines technological considerations, regulatory challenges, and evolving consumer trends shaping this product category. NDPB contribute significantly to the democratization of functional foods by offering probiotic, prebiotic, and postbiotic benefits beyond traditional dairy systems. These beverages support gut health and overall well-being, making them relevant to health-conscious consumers and those with specific dietary needs. However, key formulation challenges remain, particularly related to the viability of probiotic strains in plant-based matrices and sensory acceptance. Addressing these constraints through advanced food technology and strain selection will be critical to enhancing product stability, consumer satisfaction, and long-term market success.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for motor complications in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Patients carrying glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations exhibit distinct disease trajectories, raising questions regarding potential differences in clinical outcomes following DBS compared with non-carriers. To evaluate short- and long-term motor, medication, and cognitive outcomes following DBS in patients with GBA-PD compared with non-GBA PD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting clinical outcomes in PD patients with and without GBA mutations who underwent DBS and had a minimum follow-up of one year. Random-effects inverse variance models were applied, with subgroup analyses according to GBA status. DBS was associated with significant improvements in motor function in the off-medication state and sustained reductions in levodopa equivalent daily dose in both GBA carriers and non-carriers, with no significant between-group differences. Cognitive performance declined over long-term follow-up in both groups. At five years, greater cognitive decline, assessed using the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, was observed among GBA-PD mutation carriers compared with non-carriers. Motor improvement and medication reduction following DBS were comparable between PD patients with and without GBA mutations. Over long-term follow-up, greater cognitive decline was observed among GBA-PD carriers.
We present a comprehensive study of the screening masses of vector and axial-vector mesons and their corresponding diquark partners within a symmetry-preserving vector-vector contact interaction approach. Our analysis includes mesons and diquarks composed of both light and heavy quarks, providing a unified description of their thermal behavior. The longitudinal and transverse modes of the screening masses are analyzed, and the results are systematically compared with other theoretical approaches. At T = 0 MeV, our predictions agree with available experimental data, and a comparison with the expected free theory limit at high temperatures is also presented. Notably, the parity partners of the lightest mesons and diquarks converge at high temperatures, signaling chiral symmetry restoration within this framework. These results provide a consistent and detailed picture of meson and diquark properties at finite temperature and lay the groundwork for extending the capabilities of the model to baryon screening masses in the quark-diquark picture.
We present an updated overview of the symmetry-preserving contact interaction model in hadronic physics, which was developed a little over a decade ago to describe the mass spectrum and internal structure of mesons and diquarks composed of light and heavy quarks. Over the years, the contact interaction model has evolved into a framework capable of treating both ground and excited states, providing a simple yet consistent approach to nonperturbative QCD. In this review, we examine the mass spectrum and elastic form factors of forty mesons with different spins and parities, together with their corresponding diquark partners. Importantly, we update the comparison of contact interaction predictions using recent results from the literature, offering a fresh perspective on the model’s performance, strengths, and limitations. The analysis presented here refines previous conclusions and supports the contact interaction model as a practical tool for hadron structure studies, with potential applications to baryons and multiquark states. We also present comparisons with other theoretical models and approaches, including lattice quantum chromodynamics, and comment on future prospects in view of ongoing and planned experimental programs regarding hadron structure. In particular, forthcoming measurements at FAIR together with future studies at Jefferson Lab and the Electron Ion Collider are expected to provide key insights into hadron structure, with FAIR offering indirect constraints via hadron spectroscopy, hadronic interactions, and in-medium properties; high-precision data on meson structure and form factors from Jefferson Lab and the Electron Ion Collider will provide valuable benchmarks with which to confront predictions based on the contact interaction model.
We employ a symmetry-preserving treatment of the contact interaction within the coupled for- malism of Schwinger-Dyson and Bethe-Salpeter equations to calculate the elastic form factors of axial-vector mesons. In this study, we present the computation of the charge radii, magnetic mo- ments, and quadrupole moments of axial-vector mesons, including those composed of light quarks, heavy quarks or a light and a heavy quark. Our findings indicate that the electric form factor for axial-vector mesons, like that of vector mesons, crosses zero. Furthermore, this crossing occurs at a lower value for axial-vector mesons than for vector mesons. The results for vector-axial mesons follow a similar hierarchy in charge radii as observed for S, PS, and V mesons, with radii decreasing as the mass of the dressed quarks increases. We also include a term associated with the anoma- lous magnetic moment in the quark-photon vertex. This term has a noticeable impact on both the axial-vector magnetic moment and quadrupole moment, leading to significant percentage changes in their values. We compare our results with those obtained from other models whenever available.
