Children’s health focus: BY-HEALTH’s probiotics cooperation with Spanish firm Biosearch to explore multi-strain concept

13-Jan-2021 - Last updated on 13-Jan-2021 at 01:48 GMT

BY-HEALTH and Biosearch are partnering to develop new probiotics for children's health. ©Getty Images

Related tags Children China Probiotics

Chinese nutraceutical firm BY-HEALTH is expanding its probiotics product portfolio for children's health through its partnership with Spanish nutraceutical ingredient supplier Biosearch.

The two signed an R&D agreement and a new contract for the supply of strains from Biosearch’s proprietary portfolio – Hereditum – a range of probiotics isolated from the human breast milk.

Currently, the probiotics from the portfolio address issues such as colic, respiratory infections, preventing mastitis, and improving oral, digestive, and immune health.

The strains are not only targeted for use amongst mothers and children but can also be used by the general population and elderly for improving immune health.

Speaking to NutraIngredients-Asia, CEO José Maria Roset said the initiative with BY-HEALTH would explore the concept of using unique strains for unique applications.

“There is a range of potential health issues that might be addressed. What we will do is to progress on the discussion and perform the screening process to identify the strains that may fit those areas of interest out of the collaboration,” he said.

The company has developed a library consisting of over 200 strains isolated from the human breast milk over the years.

“We will explore the concept of unique strains for unique applications and also the combination of different strains to look for synergies, it may be about opening to the multi-strain concept as well.”

He added that any dosage formats that were applicable for the target group, would be considered, including probiotics drops, powder, and sachets.

The probiotics partnership between the two company will focus on the China, Australia, and New Zealand markets.

At present, BY-HEALTH is using three strains from Hereditum in its dietary supplements for mothers and children health. The strains are LC40 (L. fermentum CECT5716), BfM26 (Bifidobacterium breve CECT7263) and LC9 (L. gasseri CECT5714).

A study published in Beneficial Microbes in May 2020 found that mothers who were supplemented with LC-40 had infants who have a lower incidence of conjunctivitis and lower load of Staphylococcus – a bacteria that could increase the risk of respiratory infections – in their faeces.

In fact, infants whose mothers were not supplemented with LC-40, had 36 times higher load of Staphylococcus found in their faeces.

APAC focus

While Europe is the biggest market for the Spanish firm, the company says the biggest opportunity for growth lies in China and the general APAC region.

Aside from mainland China and ANZ, the company also sells probiotics and/or natural botanical extracts and/or lipids in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

“We see China and in general APAC are the biggest opportunity that we are looking at because of the size of the market and also the growth rates,”he said.

In China, one of its probiotics, LC-40, is also approved for use in infant formulas.

Roset revealed that another strain is in the process of registration for use in infant formula in China as well.

The company has been present in the China market for the past seven to eight years, it declined to reveal the growth figures but said that growth had been “very significant”.