Postbiotic ingredients in the spotlight
Postbiotic ingredients are currently in the spotlight. Recently brought to the forefront by an official definition of the ISAPP (International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics), this category of ingredients is rapidly emerging and remodeling the global biotics market. Here is a summary of the key concepts in this market.
The rapidly expanding biotics market
We cannot talk about postbiotics without mentioning other forms of biotics. Here are the official definitions for prebiotics and probiotics.
• Prebiotics are defined by ISAPP as “a substrate selectively utilized by host microorganisms, conferring a health benefit”.
Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds, such as fibers, the most commonly known. Those compounds are metabolized by bacteria and can therefore modulate the composition or even the activity of gut microbiota.
Prebiotics are increasingly understood by consumers as essential for a healthy microbiota.
• Probiotics are also defined by ISAPP as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Probiotics are at the very heart of the biotics market. Awareness of probiotics is growing among health-conscious consumers that are increasingly more aware of the role of microbiota.
• Today, symbiotic formulations are also available. Symbiotics are defined as “a mixture comprising live microorganisms and substrate(s) selectively utilized by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit on the host.” These products are considered as more complete on the “classic” biotics market.
The expanding market for biotics, the growth of consumer knowledge around microbiota, as well as increased research, have set the stage for a new type of biotics: postbiotics.
Postbiotic ingredients introduced to the market
The concept of postbiotic ingredients is not new, but has been recently defined by ISAPP. The association’s definition describes postbiotics as “preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host“. This concept has been thoroughly studied for almost 20 years, and is often referred to as heat-killed, tyndallized, or non-viable bacteria.
Components of postbiotic ingredients
Postbiotic ingredients may contain:
• intact inanimate microbial cells
• and/or microbial cell fragment/structures, such as cell wall, membranes, exopolysaccharides, pili etc.
• and/or metabolites or end products such as organic acids, peptides, secreted proteins, enzymes, vitamins, bacteriocins etc.
6 criteria for postbiotics
Now that a definition exists, there are also 6 criteria to respect to be considered as a postbiotic ingredient:
• Molecular characterization of the progenitor microorganisms to enable accurate identification and screening for potential genes of safety concern
• Detailed description of the inactivation procedure and the matrix
• Confirmation that inactivation has occurred
• Evidence of a health benefit in the host from a controlled, high-quality trial
• Detailed description of the composition of the postbiotic preparation
• Assessment of safety of the postbiotic preparation in the target host for the intended use
Key advantages of postbiotics
Health benefits
- Barrier effect against pathogens
- Immunomodulatory effects
Safety
- Cannot cause antibiotic resistance
- Cannot cause sepsis and Fungaemia
Physiological benefits in the host
- High concentration, acting directly on microbiota and cells
- Loss of viability and cell lysis can induce more complex beneficial effects
Convenience
- Easy to standardize & precise dosing
- Easy to transport & store, no need of refrigeration
- High stability from batch to batch
Adare Biome’s guarantees for postbiotic ingredients
As the pioneer but also a proud manufacturer of postbiotic ingredients, we also provide specific guarantees about postbiotic ingredients.
Lactobacillus LB, at the heart of our expertise
A proprietary process
Through the years, we have developed a unique process to produce our postbiotic solutions, known as ECHO™. This proprietary process Enriches, Concentrates and Heat-treats Organisms. It enables us to provide fully stabilized ingredients, with a high consistency from batch to batch. We now have decades of experience using this unique process. Moreover, we are constantly striving to perfect this process as part of our efforts to provide cutting-edge postbiotic solutions.
High quality standards
We apply our expertise acquired in the pharmaceutical sector to all our other activities. As a historical player in the pharmaceutical sector with Lactéol®, we have high quality standards and top-quality GMP facilities. Our aim is to harness this knowledge and these qualities to provide innovative postbiotic solutions across all markets for both humans and animals, including functional food, beverages, food supplements as well as petfood and animal feed.