A new human study published in the journal Metabolites has uncovered the potential of NutriLeads' prebiotic nutraceutical Benicaros® in enhancing the production of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA).
Researchers believe that upcycled carrot pomace ingredient may be able to trigger the production of this key health-boosting secondary gut metabolite by promoting the conversion of amino acid tryptophan into IPA.
Prior investigation has also found that the precision prebiotic can stimulate the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which can act as anti-inflammatory agents within the gut.
The results of this ex-vivo study highlight Benicaros' potential not only as an ingredient for gut health, but also for immune, brain and cardiovascular support, according to NutriLeads.
How indole-3-propionic acid influences health
IPA is a key metabolite produced by a range of 'good' bacteria in our guts, and has been touted for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the body.
Previous research has linked the prevalence of IPA in the body to improvements in gut health, immunity and cardiovascular wellness, as well as brain and metabolic health.
As Benicaros has been proven to stimulate the production of this key secondary metbolite, the precision prebiotic may benefit users in a wide range of health indications outside of gut and immune health, states NutriLeads.
This study further highlights the influence of the gut microbiome and its metabolites in overall health — providing snippets of evidence to support the gut-brain, gut-immune and gut-heart axis theories.
Getting to know how Benicaros promotes gut health
Although the prebiotic effects of Benicaros have been previously determined, researchers at NutriLeads and Blue Helix Health wanted to figure out how the nutraceutical's active ingredient, rhamnogalacturonan-I (cRG-I), exhibited its effects on gut microbiota.
To achieve this, researchers looked into how the intake of varying doses of the ingredient could impact microbiome composition, as well as gut bacteria metabolite production.
Doses of 1.5g/day and 0.3g/day were tested, and both doses were seen to increase the prevalence of 'good' bacteria Bifidobacterium longum — though this effect was more pronounced in the high dose arm.
Researchers also found that those taking 1.5g/day of Benicaros per day had a 45.8% increase in IPA in the faecal sample, inferring that the prebiotic stimulated gut microbes to produce this useful metabolite.
Notably, there was a strong correlation between an increase in B. longum and IPA levels, suggesting that this gut bacteria strain is a key producer of this molecule.
From this study, they concluded that Benicaros' active ingredient cRG-I most likely exhibited its effects by supporting the conversion of tryptophan into IPA by gut bacteria, with this effect particlularly prevalent in B. longum.
Co-author of this paper and CSO of Cryptobiotix, Dr Pieter Van den Abbeele, commented: “The promotion of IPA by Benicaros through gut microbiome modulation is remarkably consistent.”
“We identified Bifidobacterium longum as a key intermediary in this process, a finding corroborated by published animal and human clinical studies. This underscores the predictive potential of our ex vivo SIFR technology and how it helps to decipher the complexities of the gut microbiome.”
“Benicaros consistently modulates the gut microbiome, delivering reliable results regardless of individual differences in gut microbiome composition,” noted CEO of NutriLeads, Joana Carneiro-Wakefield.
“We are very excited about these new results, as they suggest that Benicaros could offer health benefits beyond gut and immune health, potentially supporting the gut-brain connection as well," he concludes.