In an exciting step forward for the growing synbiotic category, Clasado Biosciences (‘Clasado’) in partnership with probiotic specialist Probi® AB has announced the publication of a new study which demonstrated selective utilisation within one of the commercially available synbiotic combinations following the recent partnership.
The research project evaluates the synbiotic potential of Clasado’s Bimuno® GOS and Probi Defendum®, a combination designed to support immune health formulations. Conducted and authored by Ghyselinck et al, the ex vivo trial conducted by Prodigest explored the combination’s effects utilising stool samples from healthy donor hosts. The study also explored the complementary synbiotic combination of Bimuno GOS and Probi Digestis®, a gastrointestinal focused concept also available to formulators.
The study, “A Novel Synbiotic Blend of Galactooligosaccharide (GOS) and a Two-Strain Probiotic Acts Synergistically to Increase Lactate and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in a Short-Term Ex Vivo Colon Fermentation Model“, has been published in the March edition of the International Journal of Nutritional Sciences.
The results of the study validate that the Probi Defendum probiotic was able to selectively utilise Bimuno GOS for growth, highlighting substrate specificity for Probi’s probiotic strains L. plantarum HEAL9 (HEAL9™) and L. paracasei 8700:2®. The combination was shown to significantly increase lactate levels and increase short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate by 26% when Bimuno GOS was co-supplemented in combination with Probi Defendum. The results for the synbiotic combination of Bimuno GOS and Probi Digestis demonstrated that the concept acts as a complementary synbiotic, and thus each component promotes its distinct health benefits independently of each other.
Additionally, the study revealed a shift in specific gut bacteria enrichment with a notable increase in Bifidobacteria, a beneficial bacteria associated with gastrointestinal and immune health support. Crucially, both synbiotic concepts showed no increase in gas production, highlighting good tolerability in the combinations and further adding benefits for nutraceutical product developers.
Dr Lucien Harthoorn, R&D Director and lead author to the study, commented: “We cannot overstate how valuable this study is to the rapidly growing synbiotic industry. The results show, in one of the market firsts, a validated synergistic effect in a commercially available synbiotic combination. Today’s health consumer is looking for strong scientific backing from the products they choose, so working with a combination such as Bimuno GOS and Probi Defendum, a concept designed to support immune health, gives formulators a very valuable competitive edge.
“The results showed an increase in lactate and also butyrate, two important gut health promoting components that are also associated with supporting immune health. We also explored the tolerability levels in terms of gas production, to which both concepts performed well, and indicated no issues would be experienced. This underscores the critical role that prebiotics play in adding true value within synbiotic formulations. By selecting an appropriate prebiotic, such as Bimuno GOS, the most comprehensively studied commercially available galactooligosaccharide on the market today, formulators can maximise the effects between prebiotics and probiotics, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for consumers.”
The study’s findings highlight significant potential for the development of synbiotic products aimed at promoting gut health and overall wellbeing, as well as products designed to support immune function. Clasado Biosciences remains committed to advancing research in this area and leveraging its expertise in prebiotic ingredients to drive innovation in the field of microbiome health.
To learn more about the synbiotic combinations developed by Clasado and Probi AB, please visit clasado.com/synbiotics-with-bimuno-gos.