Impacts of high-pressure technology and pulsed electric field on functional properties of probiotics and probiotic foods

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Probiotics are widely incorporated into functional foods due to their health benefits on gut metabolism, immune modulation, and metabolic regulation. However, maintaining the viability of the probiotics and functional integrity during food processing, storage, and gastrointestinal transit is a challenge, especially when the conventional thermal methods are used. In this context, non-thermal processing technologies such as high-pressure processing (HPP), high-pressure homogenization (HPH), and pulsed electric field (PEF) have emerged as alternatives which can improve the food safety as well as preserve or enhance probiotic functionality. This review aims to provide current evidence on the effects of HPP and PEF on probiotics and probiotic foods, with particular emphasis on functional attributes beyond cell survival. The impact of processing parameters on probiotic viability, stress adaptation, adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells, resistance to gastrointestinal conditions, metabolic activity, and immunomodulatory and antimicrobial potential is discussed across diverse food matrices, including dairy, plant-based, cereal-based, and fermented products. Available studies indicate that sublethal HPP and PEF treatments can induce beneficial physiological responses in probiotics, such as enhanced membrane permeability, improved stress tolerance, and stimulated metabolic activity, although outcomes remain highly strain-, matrix-, and process-dependent. Synergistic processing strategies, integration with microencapsulation, and advanced omics-based approaches could help to better understand probiotic responses to non-thermal technologies. Overall, HPP and PEF represent promising tools for the development of next-generation probiotic foods that balance safety, quality, and biological efficacy.