Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, branded as LactoSpore® is L(+) lactic acid-producing microbial preparation, a shelf-stable probiotic. LactoSpore® was found to be safe and well tolerated by healthy individuals when taken orally in a double-blind, placebo-controlled 30-day supplementation study.
Gut microbiome, probiotics and their importance
Gut microbiome comprises of many symbiotic microorganisms residing on the gastrointestinal lining of the human gut. These microorganisms have an evolutionary association with humans and developed a friendly interactive system.
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Probiotics are live bacteria that line the digestive tract and are beneficial to the host through various means and termed “good” or “helpful” bacteria, since they support the composition of the gut microbiome. Creating an ideal environment, and introducing beneficial functions like nutrient absorption, amelioration of digestive issues, supporting overall brain health, helping fight certain allergic conditions, and even ward off infections. They also bio-transform specific food components and produce various metabolites viz., short-chain fatty acids, and vitamins. These metabolites modulate the host immune system and metabolic responses. The gut microbiome members can interact with the brain through neurons, hormones, and immune systems.
The inculcation of processed food concerning food habits, consumption of certain toxins (alcohol and smoking), and the use of certain medications for a prolonged period; all have a negative effect on the gut microbiome of the human population. Since the gut microbiome plays a very crucial role in the management of the health of the subjects, alteration in the gut microbiome affects the overall wellbeing and health of the individual. In such a condition, restoration of the gut microbiome forms an immediate and easy solution to manage gut health. For the process of restoration, the consumption of probiotic organisms is only an instant and promising solution. Thus, probiotic microorganisms have been widely utilized as products to improve gut health.
Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 – Health benefits
Out of the many probiotics that are known, Lactic acid bacteria, especially the rod-shaped Bacillus coagulans, have a friendly association with the human gut. This probiotic bacterium is a member of the normal microbial ecosystem in the intestinal tract. It seems to play a crucial role in maintaining the stability and diversity of the gut microbiome. Also, Bacillus coagulans has a unique property of producing spores during its life cycle, not found in any other lactic acid-producing bacteria.
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LactoSpore® is one such probiotic from Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, being a spore forming bacteria, stable during processing, packaging, and storage. The product is standardized to provide a maximum number of active spores to help in proper colonization of the bacteria inside the human intestine. LactoSpore® is clinically validated for its health benefits in human subjects.
Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 in functional foods
A number of microorganisms from different groups (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus) have been evaluated for their functional use. As demand for probiotics has grown, so has the range of delivery systems expanded into more types of functional foods. However, most of them lose the viability during the manufacturing and storage of functional food (baked food, beverages, fruit preserves) due to either high temperature or other manufacturing conditions inhospitable to many of these live bacteria. Hence, these probiotics require encapsulation via special processes to retain their viability during manufacturing, storage, and exposure to gastric acid and bile. They also require special handling during manufacturing, transportation and storage, rendering them vulnerable to degredation in viability. However, the spore-forming ability of Bacillus coagulans helps it to survive at high and low temperature and to show resistance against the harsh human gastric environment, which enables delivery of the probiotic benefits under a wide range of conditions and delivery systems.
In a recent study, the effect of manufacturing process and storage conditions of baked food, beverages, and fruit preserves on the viability of Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 was evaluated. Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 was found to be stable during extremes: both baking and storage under frozen conditions. In general, this remarkable resistance to degredation during processing of food and supplementation formulations allows the use of Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 in a variety of processed foods, such as juices, gummies, coffee, tea, confectionary, and vegetable oils.