Researchers from the University of Reading and OptiBiotix Health presented two posters on microbiome modulation on 1st February at ProBiota 2017, a major event for the global prebiotic, probiotic, and microbiota-focused food and pharma industries. The key findings of the clinical research were:
• OptiBiotix’s LP-LDL® probiotic is a safe natural ingredient which reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, key determinates of cardiovascular risk.
• Combining LP-LDL® with a microbiome modulator selectively enhances LP-LDL® growth and biologically activity, providing three times the cholesterol reduction than that achieved by LP-LDL® alone.
The first poster, presented by microbiologist Stephen O’Hara, Founder and CEO of OptiBiotix as a poster and podium presentation, demonstrates that the bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum (LP-LDL®) significantly reduces both LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
The parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study was carried out by Professor Gibson, Professor of Food Microbiology, Head of Food Microbial Sciences at University of Reading. Researchers investigated the cholesterol-reducing capacity of LP-LDL® in healthy adults with normal to mildly elevated cholesterol, and found that not only did LP-LDL® significantly reduce cholesterol in the active group, but it also reduced blood pressure. This is a significant advantage over existing products as the ability to reduce both LDL and blood pressure has a multiplicative effect in reducing cardiovascular risk. The study also confirmed the safety profile of LP-LDL. The poster can be found here.
The second poster showed that OptiBiotix’s synbiotic was able to selectively enhance the growth and activity of LP-LDL® in the human faecal microbiome, and so increase cholesterol reduction threefold. This study, carried out by Professor Bob Rastall, Professor of Food Biotechnology and Head of Food and Nutritional Sciences at University of Reading, is the first time that research has shown that a synbiotic can increase the production and function of a specific bacterium in the microbiome. The poster can be found here.
Stephen O’Hara, CEO of OptiBiotix, commented, “The ability to create designer ingredients which can modify an individual’s microbiome to improve health places OptiBiotix at the forefront of global microbiome research and product development. I believe we are fast approaching the next stage in the development of the microbiome in healthcare, where scientists have the ability to precision engineer components of the microbiome to prevent, manage, and treat many of today’s chronic lifestyle diseases.”
The human microbiome
The human digestive tract contains a complex and diverse ecosystem of trillions of bacteria. Recently, advances in molecular and analytical techniques (metagenomics, metabolomics) have permitted identification and quantitation of species and strains of bacteria that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, their metabolic activity, and interactions with the human host. These studies have provided greater insight into the role of gut and their metabolites in health and disease.
NIH https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/index Web MD http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-your-gut-bacteria-say-your-health#1
About OptiBiotix
OptiBiotix was formed in March 2012 by Stephen O’Hara to develop compounds which modify the human microbiome – the collective genome of the microbes in the body – to prevent and manage human disease. The aim of OptiBiotix is to discover and develop microbial strains, compounds and formulations, which modulate the human microbiome and can be used as food ingredients and supplements or active compounds for the prevention and management of human metabolic diseases, examples of which include obesity, cholesterol and lipid distribution and diabetes.
OptiBiotix has established a pipeline of microbiome modulators that can impact on lipid and cholesterol management, energy harvest and appetite suppression. The development pipeline is fuelled by its proprietary OptiScreen® and OptiBiotic® platform technologies designed to identify metabolic pathways and compounds that impact on human physiology and bring potential health benefits. These platforms are applicable across a wider range of other human diseases.
http://www.optibiotix.com/
