Probiota Asia 2018
Scientific Frontiers: Gold kiwifruit study takes top spot at Probiota Asia 2018
The intervention combinations included placebo, Actazin L (600 mg/d), Actazin H (2400 mg/d) and Livaux (2400 mg/d) for 28 days, with a washout period between each treatment phase.
The most notable finding was that in the FC group, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance significantly increased from 3.4% to 7.0 % following Livaux supplementation, with eight of the nine participants showing a net increase.
Low amounts of F. prausnitzii have been associated with a range of intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), atopy, diabetes and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The study was published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and led by scientists from Plant and Food Research.
Both products are marketed by Anagenix, and Elizabeth Tay from the firm addressed delegates at the Singapore summit.
She said: “Depleted concentrations of F. prausnitzii appears to be undesirable. An increase in F. prausnitzii could confer beneficial outcomes to the host as F. prausnitzi ihas been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in many studies and is a butyrate producer, which has protective functions and health benefits in the gut.
NutraIngredients, in conjunction with GOED, will be holding APAC's first ever omega-3 event in Singapore in February 2019, featuring renowned speakers from CSIRO, A*STAR, Koure, GOED and more.
Efficient and effective
“F. prausnitzii is highly sensitive to oxygen, making formulation and storage as a probiotic difficult. The targeted prebiotic effect of Livaux, which is believed to come from the dietary fibre and phytochemicals/polyphenols that naturally occur in gold kiwifruit, provides an efficient and effective means for increasing F. prausnitzii levels, which might otherwise be difficult to modulate.”
A phase-2 clinical trial is now underway. The Primary objective is an improvement of one complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM)/week in participants who normally have ≤ 3 CSBM/week as assessed by daily bowel habits diary.
Secondary objectives include stool form, time of bowel movements, quality of life, constipation symptoms and change in gut microbiome as assessed by faecal sample analysis.
To date, 25% of participants have completed the trial.
They are working towards a full completion date, including data analysis, of April 2019 with journal publication to follow.
The Scientifc Frontiers poster competition was judged by our expert Scientific Committee.
Source: Journal of Nutritional Science
Journal of Nutritional Science (2017), vol. 6, e52
"Consumption of kiwifruit capsules increases Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance in functionally constipated individuals: a randomised controlled human trial"
Authors: Paul Blatchford, et al.
