The gut microbiome has become a hot topic in the nutraceutical industry, with mounting evidence suggesting that the micro-organisms that live in our digestive system — as well as the by-products they produce — are critical to the function (and dysfunction) of many bodily processes, including the immune system, metabolic homeostasis and cognition.
As the microflora that live in our gastrointestinal tract have a strong influence on the body’s overall function, many formulators in the active ingredients space have begun to focus on developing natural solutions to support the gut microbiome … while also amplifying its positive impact. A common approach to this is the use of probiotics, which — through a number of strain
combinations — can be catered to benefit a wide range of health areas.
20.5 million deaths were caused by heart disease alone in 2021
In the probiotics realm, as cases of heart disease continue to skyrocket, an area of focus that’s currently gaining notable traction is cardiometabolic support. According to the World Heart Federation, as many as 20.5 million deaths were caused by heart disease alone in 2021, so consumer desire to improve heart health and reduce disease risk factors has increased in recent years.1 The same can be said for metabolic diseases such as diabetes, as research from the Lancet estimates that the number of adults living with the condition will almost double by 2050.2
To capitalise on this advancement, a business subsidiary of Kaneka Probiotics — AB-BIOTICS — has developed a preventive probiotic to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic disease onset, helping users to take control of their health with a natural solution. To find out more, Annabel Kartal-Allen spoke to Jordi Riera, Chief Business Officer at Kaneka Probiotics.
Why probiotics?
Owing to the current obesity crisis sweeping the globe, the number of nutraceutical solutions designed to regulate metabolic and cardiovascular health has expanded dramatically. The strong competition in the market leads to the question: why probiotics? What makes them better than other functional ingredients? 
A major reason why nutraceutical formulators should consider probiotics for their supplements is because of the extensive research surrounding their efficacy, Mr Riera explains: “We have already demonstrated the ability of probiotic supplements to reduce cholesterol levels, and there is plenty more research out there backing our findings." 3–5
For example, a study in Greek adults with type 2 diabetes found that probiotics had a positive impact on metabolic parameters associated with the disease, whereas another trial focusing on probiotics in patients with unusually high blood lipid profiles found that supplementation with these beneficial bacteria could improve dyslipidaemia.” 6,7
To validate these findings and discover if its three-strain probiotic could exhibit a similar beneficial effect, AB-BIOTICS carried out a study in collaboration with the Sant Pau Institute of Biomedical Research in Barcelona.
The cholesterol-modulating effects of L. plantarum may be attributed to its ability to modulate bile acid metabolism in the gut
How the study was conducted
There have been several studies conducted in recent years that point towards the ability of probiotics to maintain a healthy immune system, with the trial conducted by Padro et al. being no exception. Jordi elaborates: “The 4 week study period evaluated the effects of our probiotic blend on processes that are integral to the management of cardiometabolic health,8 and was a follow-up from our recent studies, which demonstrated the cholesterol-lowering effects of a trio of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains.3–5 In this study, we wanted to investigate the mechanisms that are driving such effects in the body.”
“Previous investigations led us to believe that the cholesterol-modulating effects of L. plantarum may be attributed to their ability to modulate bile acid metabolism in the gut. The available literature suggests that an increase in bacterial bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity can positively impact plasma cholesterol levels, reducing the absorption and recycling of bile acids. This will then result in the liver synthesising new bile acids to maintain the correct balance — which subsequently leads to the movement of circulating cholesterol stores out of the bloodstream.”
To test this theory, the research team assessed healthy but overweight participants with a BMI of 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 who were given one capsule of AB-LIFE per day for 4 weeks, with a dose escalation event every 7 days. Fasting blood samples were collected from the volunteers at baseline (day 0) and the end of each intervention period (day 7, 14, 21 and 28) to see how the
probiotic strains performed.
The science behind the benefits
Jordi elaborates: “The main point of interest in this study was the levels of bile acid production seen in those supplemented with L. plantarum … with our background focus being how lipids and metabolic pathways were affected by the supplement regime. Total bile acids in serum were analysed by a colorimetric test and conjugated/unconjugated forms were measured by ultra-high
performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). Lipoprotein profiles were analysed by high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR), whereas gut microbiota composition was measured by metagenomics.” 
“Previous studies have already demonstrated that L. plantarum strains may help people to maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels; so, for the next step in our investigation, it was essential to understand how such strains benefit cardiometabolic health — particularly relating to BSH activity.”
L. plantarum strains appear to be able to reduce ApoB and small LDL cholesterol levels
In the latest single-arm intervention trial, AB-BIOTICS’ probiotic strains were shown to significantly reduce levels of conjugated bile acids in the blood of participants compared with the baseline measurement, an effect that is consistent with enhanced BSH activity and the current scientific understanding of cholesterol-reducing mechanisms, according to Jordi.
“Although more data are needed to solidify this claim, a combination of L. plantarum strains appears to be able to reduce ApoB and small LDL cholesterol levels, as well as LDL’s susceptibility to oxidation. The high presence of small LDL cholesterol in the body is a strong risk factor in the development of heart disease; so, by modulating its levels with a cost-effective and simple method can allow consumers to improve their health and, potentially, their quality of life.”
The wide-ranging potential of probiotics
Owing to the gut microbiome’s power to influence bodily function, there is a lot of potential to develop specialist probiotic solutions to support a number of different problem areas, explains Jordi: “Probiotics are highly customisable … and developing probiotic solutions that don’t just modulate the gut, but target specific health areas — including menopause, immunity and digestive health — is a big opportunity. By taking a bottom-up approach to developing probiotics, we can cater combinations to optimise their action on a specialised area of wellness, offering unparalleled flexibility.”
“By supporting the gut with the addition of probiotic strains that have coevolved alongside the human immune system, we can identity how interactions with these beneficial microbes can be exploited to target additional health areas,” he concludes.
References
1 https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/World-Heart-Report-2023.pdf.
2 www.thelancet.com/series/global-inequity-diabetes.
3 J. Espadaler, et al., “Abstracts of the 10th Workshop on Probiotics and Prebiotics.” Ann. Nutr
Metab. 74 (Suppl. 1), 1–31 (2019).
4 M.C. Fuentes, et al., Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 9(2), 125–135 (2016).
5 M. Bosch, et al., Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 94(4), 803–809 (2014).
6 www.mdpi.com/2072- 6643/15/21/4663#:~:text=Some%20probiotics%20are%20thought%20to,and%20improve%20overall%20metabolic%20health.
7 https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/119/4/933/6658055.
8 T. Padro, et al., “Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains KABP011, KABP012 and KABP013
Modulate Bile Acids and Cholesterol Metabolism in Humans,” Cardiovasc. Res. (2024):
doi:10.1093/cvr/cvae061.