A study led by researchers at Doctor's Biome has found that juice-based probiotics are more capable of surviving the stomach's acidic environment compared with dry powder probiotics.
The in-vitro research, which features in the Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, found that both Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillius strains were more likely to survive when combined with an organic juice blend in hydrochloric acid (HCl) at pH 1.5 — conditions created to simulate the stomach's environment.
This finding highlights the potential of liquid-based probiotics as an optimal gut health solution.
Optimising probiotic survival in supplements
The potential of probiotics in supporting gut health has long been understood, though recent research has uncovered the crucial role of the gut microbiome in a range of other health aspects such as immunity, cognition and cardiovascular wellness.
These 'good' bacteria can be consumed in a range of ways, including through yoghurt, pills and liquid consumables, though it can be difficult to ensure that these probiotics survive the challenging environment of the gut.
Therefore, researchers at Doctor's Biome wanted to test how its liquid probiotic formulation, which contains five Bifidobacterium and ten Lactobacillius species, may survive in the gut environment.
They did this by combining both a dry probiotic powder and their signature probiotic blend (mixed in a green juice containing mint, cucumber, apple, lettuce, kale, celery and lemon juice) with HCl at 37 °C — quantifying the presence of colony-forming units (CFU) per gram at 0, 30 and 60 minutes.
When combined with juice, the total probiotic count of the specialist blend only dropped by 8,000,000 CFU/g to 28,000,000 CFU/g after 60 minutes, while the powdered probiotic saw 2 CFU/g of these strains left from the 64,000 CFU/g that were mixed into the HCl.
Dr Howard Robins and Dr Reza Kamarei, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Science and Technology Officer at Doctor's Biome, believe this is likely because of the buffering properties of the juice.
They also theorise that the presence of glucose impacted probiotic survival, as "additional experiments confirmed that glucose alone was responsible for survival in acidic conditions."
"Sugars that could be efficiently metabolised by the bacteria enabled ATP provision to F0F1-ATPase via glycolysis, facilitating proton exclusion and enhancing survival during gastric transit," stated Dr Kamarei.
CEO of Doctor's Biome, Richard Finkelstein, concluded: "This study presents compelling evidence that pre-hydrating dry powder probiotics in a fruit and vegetable juice carrier significantly improves their survival rate in acidic conditions, such as those in the stomach."
"By comparing this juice-based delivery method to traditional dry powder formulations, the researchers highlight the positive impact of hydration, buffering and glucose metabolism on probiotic viability. The clear methodology and robust findings add valuable insights into optimising probiotic efficacy. This innovative approach, designating such blends as "Next Generation Probiotics," suggests promising applications for improving health outcomes associated with probiotic supplements. The study's design and results are both informative and encouraging."