The science behind postbiotics Bifidobacterium longum HT-ES1

In the microbiome field, postbiotics are emerging as a promising new avenue for improving health, offering a wide range of potential benefits for the intestines, the immune system, and overall well-being.

Although research on postbiotics is ongoing, initial results suggest potential benefits in inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhoea, allergies, obesity and metabolic syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

IBS is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, and disturbances in the frequency of bowel movements or stool shape (1). The estimated global prevalence of IBS is 11.2%, ranging from 5 to 15% in most European countries (4).

Symptoms can be debilitating and have a significant impact on quality of life (2). The gut microbiota of people suffering from IBS differs significantly from that of healthy individuals. The gut microbiota can be a key factor in the aetiology of IBS, and the symptoms of this disorder can be alleviated by modulating it. IBS is a multifactorial disorder, and its complex pathophysiology is still not fully understood. According to scientists, altered visceral sensitivity, intestinal motility and disturbances in bowel movements, as well as structural abnormalities, such as a disturbed microbial balance, may all contribute to the pathophysiology of IBS (3).

In April 2024, an important clinical study was published showing very promising results regarding IBS and postbiotics.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum ES1 and the postbiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum HT-ES1 in improving the gastrointestinal symptoms among people with IBS with predominant diarrhoea.

The results showed that using ES1 1×10⁹ CFU/day and HT-ES1 2.5×10⁹ cells/day was effective in reducing the severity of IBS symptoms, as measured by the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptom Severity Rating Scale. The scale questionnaire consists of five questions on abdominal pain intensity, abdominal pain frequency, abdominal distension intensity, satisfaction with bowel habits, and the impact of symptoms on the overall quality of life.

The responses to the questionnaire were promising. Compared with a placebo, stool consistency, quality of life, abdominal pain intensity, and anxiety all improved over the 12-week intervention period for those in the experimental group.¸

The results of this study are an important contribution to IBS research, providing clinically useful and statistically significant results, obtained in a rigorous, well-designed, randomised, placebo-controlled study, in addition to addressing the use of postbiotics in the treatment of IBS, an area of research that is still in its infancy. Compared to placebo, the use of dietary supplements with probiotics (ES1) and postbiotics (HT-ES1) had a significant effect on reducing the severity score of IBS symptoms. The study produced both primary and secondary outcomes, clearly demonstrating that ES1 and HT-ES1 may be useful in the treatment of IBS.

Sources:

1. Saha L. Irritablebowelsyndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, andevidence-based medicine. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(22):6759–15.
2. Buono JL, Carson RT, Flores NM. Health-relatedqualityoflife, workproductivity, andindirectcostsamongpatientswithirritablebowelsyndromewithdiarrhea. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017;15(1):35. doi:10.1186/s12955-017-0611-2
3. Ford AC, Lacy BE, Talley NJ, Longo DL. Irritablebowelsyndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(26):2566–2578. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1607547
4. Lovell RM, Ford AC. Global prevalenceofandriskfactors for irritablebowelsyndrome: a meta-analysis. ClinGastroenterolHepatol. 2012;10(7):712–21.e4. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.02.029
5. Srivastava, S., Basak, U., Naghibi, M., Vijayakumar, V., Parihar, R., Patel, J., Jadon, P. S., Pandit, A., Dargad, R. R., Khanna, S., Kumar, S., & Day, R. (2024). A randomizeddouble-blind, placebo-controlledtrial to evaluatethesafetyandefficacyof live Bifidobacteriumlongum CECT 7347 (ES1) andheat-treatedBifidobacteriumlongum CECT 7347 (HT-ES1) inparticipantswithdiarrhea-predominantirritablebowelsyndrome. Gutmicrobes, 16(1), 2338322. https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2024.2338322