Evaluation of probiotic Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 viability after tea and coffee brewing and its growth in GIT hostile environment

The Potential of Bacillus Species as Probiotics in the Food Industry: A Review

The demand for probiotics is increasing, providing opportunities for food and beverage products to incorporate and market these foods as a source of additional benefits. The most commonly used probiotics belong to the genera of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and traditionally these bacteria have been incorporated into dairy products, where they have a wider history and can readily survive. More recently, there has been a desire to incorporate probiotics into various food products, including baked goods. In recent years, interest in the use of Bacillus species as probiotics has greatly increased. The spores of various Bacillus species such as Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis, have significantly improved viability and stability under harsher conditions during heat processing. These characteristics make them very valuable as probiotics. In this review, factors that could affect the stability of Bacillus probiotics in food products are highlighted. Additionally, this review features the existing research and food products that use Bacillus probiotics, as well as future research opportunities.

Probiotic bacilli incorporation in foods: is really so easy?

Foods containing probiotic bacilli spores are becoming more and more popular because of their resistance to acidic pH, low water activity, and, most importantly, heat processes. Even though spores may engage in some functions, such as immunomodulation, the majority of the beneficial characteristics are unique to vegetative cells. As matter of fact, the development of foods fortified with spores ought to even ensure the germination of the spores along the gastrointestinal tract. In this perspective, vegetative cells derived from spore germination were separately counted on a minimal medium because the traditional approach is based on the use of complex media that allows the spores to germinate independently by stimuli arising from processing or digestion. In more detail, three Bacillus spp. cultures with claimed probiotic properties were added to two entirely unrelated foods (pasta and croissants), and tolerance, as well as germination, was monitored before and after exposure to simulated GIT, as well as at the beginning and end of the products shelf life. For the first time, potential probiotic bacilli were included in a frozen ready-to-bake product. Germination appears to be prevented in this instance, and the impact of baking, matrix and cold storage on spores was examined independently. All of the parameters appeared to contribute, although further research is needed due to the unpredictable behavior exhibited by spores during freezing.

Probiotic modulation of gut microbiota by Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 in healthy subjects: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-control study

BACKGROUND

Probiotics are known to rebalance the gut microbiota in dysbiotic individuals, but their impact on the gut microbiome of healthy individuals is seldom studied. The current study is designed to assess the impact and safety of Bacillus coagulans (Weizmannia coagulans) microbial type culture collection 5856 (LactoSpore®) supplementation on microbiota composition in healthy Indian adults.

METHODS

The study participants (N = 30) received either LactoSpore (2 billion colony-forming units/capsule) or placebo for 28 days. The general and digestive health were assessed through questionnaires and safety by monitoring adverse events. Taxonomic profiling of the fecal samples was carried out by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The bacterial persistence was enumerated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Gut health, general health, and blood biochemical parameters remained normal in all the participants. No adverse events were reported during the study. Metataxonomic analysis revealed minimal changes to the gut microbiome of otherwise healthy subjects and balance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was maintained by LactoSpore. The relative abundance of beneficial bacteria like Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Blautia, Megasphaera, and Ruminococcus showed an increase in probiotic-supplemented individuals. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed highly variable numbers of B. coagulans in feces before and after the study.

CONCLUSION

The present study results suggest that LactoSpore is safe for consumption and does not alter the gut microbiome of healthy individuals. Minor changes in a few bacterial species may have a beneficial outcome in healthy individuals. The results reiterate the safety of B. coagulans microbial type culture collection 5856 as a dietary supplement and provide a rationale to explore its effect on gut microbiome composition in individuals with dysbiosis.

Quality characteristics of green Tea's infusion as influenced by brands and types of brewing water

The influences of four types of brewing waters including tap water (TAP), alkaline ionized water (ALK), magnetized water (MAG) and mineral water (MIN), and two brands of commercial green tea (L and T) on quality characteristics of tea infusions were studied. The Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) values of the brewing waters was TAP > MAG, MIN > ALK. After brewing, all infusions showed a significant drop (p < 0.05) in pH values. The pH of original brewing waters of ALK (8.64) was the highest as compared to other waters, whereas L-MIN (pH 6.63) and T-MIN (pH 5.82) showed the highest pH values after brewing. Overall, the quality characteristics of green tea infusions were influenced by the brands of tea and the types of brewing water used. MAG was the most superior brewing water in extracting the green tea. Evidenced by total phenolic and flavonoids contents, both L-MAG and T-MAG infusions were superior in extracting antioxidative compounds as compared to other tea infusions. In addition, T-MAG infusion was the least astringent (P < 0.05) and scored the highest (P < 0.05) overall acceptability ( 5.40 ) by sensory panelists.

W D, U. M K, S.D K. Bacillus Coagulans and its Spore as Potential Probiotics in the Production of Novel Shelf- Stable Foods

The synbiotic foods with therapeutic activities have been beneficial to gut health and immunity development, including Bacillus coagulans as the probiotic microorganism. It is preferred over other lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as it can produce spores. It is grown in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.2 and releases spores at 37 °C. These microbial spores can withstand environments with high temperatures, acidic conditions, and salinity, making it a viable probiotic organism for production of novel shelf-stable foods. It has become an essential ingredient in the functional food industry due to its probiotic characteristics and great resistance to stressful conditions. For extensive commercial use and a wide range of food applications, apart from probiotic characteristics, a probiotic organism must be cost-effective, convenient and remain viable throughout the processing, storage and consumption. The non-spore- forming lactic acid bacteria can be utilized to make probiotic products and fermented dairy products under controlled processing and storage conditions. The spore- forming probiotic organism can be delivered into the human gut through novel food products derived from cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, confectionery products, and meat and non-dairy products. This has led to the development of convenient and shelf-stable non-dairy probiotics. These non-dairy-based probiotics are cheaper, resilient against various processing conditions, high in bioactive components, and can mitigate the risk of lifestyle diseases and reduce. Further, lactose intolerance is associated with the consumption of dairy probiotics. Therefore, this review aimed to assess the utilization of probiotic Bacillus coagulans spores in emerging shelf-stable novel non-dairy products with probiotic potential.

Advances in Kombucha Tea Fermentation: A Review

Kombucha is a carbonated, slightly acidic beverage traditionally produced by the fermentation of sweetened tea by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). The microbial community of kombucha is a complex one, whose dynamics are still not fully understood; however, the emergence of culture-independent techniques has allowed a more comprehensive insight into kombucha microbiota. In recent times, advancements have been made towards the optimisation of the fermentation process, including the use of alternative substrates, defined starter cultures and the modification of fermentation parameters, with the aim of producing an innovative beverage that is improved in terms of its physiochemical, sensory and bioactive properties. The global kombucha market is rapidly increasing, with the rising popularity of the tea attributed in part to its purported health benefits, despite the lack of research in human subjects to substantiate such claims. Accordingly, the incidence of kombucha home-brewing has increased, meaning there is a requirement for individuals to recognise the potential hazards associated with fermentation and the relevant preventative measures to be undertaken to ensure the safe preparation of kombucha. The aim of this review is to provide an update regarding the current knowledge of kombucha production, microbiology, safety and marketing.

Untargeted LC-QTOF-MS/MS based metabolomics approach for revealing bioactive components in probiotic fermented coffee brews

Amidst trends in non-dairy probiotic foods and functional coffees, we recently developed a fermented coffee brew containing high live counts of the probiotics Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM-I745. However, probiotic fermentation did not alter levels of principal coffee bioactive components based on targeted analyses. Here, to provide therapeutic justification compared to other non-fermented coffee brews, we aimed to discover postbiotics in coffee brews fermented with L. rhamnosus GG and/or S. boulardii CNCM-I745. By using an untargeted LC-QTOF-MS/MS based metabolomics approach coupled with validated multivariate analyses, 37 differential metabolites between fermentation treatments were putatively annotated. These include the production of postbiotics such as 2-isopropylmalate by S. boulardii CNCM-I745, and aromatic amino acid catabolites (indole-3-lactate, p-hydroxyphenyllactate, 3-phenyllactate), and hydroxydodecanoic acid by L. rhamnosus GG. Overall, LC-QTOF based untargeted metabolomics can be an effective approach to uncover postbiotics, which may substantiate additional potential functionalities of probiotic fermented foods compared to their non-fermented counterparts.

In vitro bioactivities of coffee brews fermented with the probiotics Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM-I745

Previously, we demonstrated the production of bioactive metabolites (e.g., indole-3-lactate, 4-hydroxyphenyllactate, 3-phenyllactate, 2-isopropylmalate) by the probiotics Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM-I745 during coffee brew fermentation. However, it remains unclear if in situ production of bioactive metabolites confers additional health benefits to coffee brews. Here, we aimed to investigate the in vitro bioactivities of freeze-dried cell-free coffee supernatants fermented with L. rhamnosus GG and/or S. boulardii CNCM-I745, compared to non-fermented coffee supernatants. In vitro bioactivity assays pertained to α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, antiglycative activities, anti-proliferation against human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HCT116, and HepG2), cellular antioxidant activities, and anti-inflammatory activities. We demonstrated that non-fermented coffee supernatants displayed weak starch hydrolase inhibition (IC₅₀ > 36.00 mg/mL), but otherwise displayed strong anti-glycative (IC₅₀ 0.71-0.74 mg/mL), anti-proliferative (IC₅₀ 0.45, 0.36, and < 0.5 mg/mL for MCF-7, HCT116, and HepG2 respectively), cellular antioxidant (85,844.22 µmol quercetin equivalents/100 g coffee supernatant), and anti-inflammatory activities (35.7% reduction in nitrite production at 0.13 mg/mL). In all the assays tested, probiotic fermented coffee supernatants exhibited very similar bioactivities compared to non-fermented coffee supernatants, and improvements were not observed. Overall, in vitro bioactivities of coffee brews were not improved via in situ metabolite production by L. rhamnosus GG and/or S. boulardii CNCM-I745. Therefore, bioactive metabolites produced during probiotic-induced food fermentations may not necessarily confer additional health benefits compared to non-fermented counterparts.

Comparative evaluation for thermostability and gastrointestinal survival of probiotic Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856

Thermal stability (D-value and pasteurization) and gastric acid resistance of spore forming and nonspore forming probiotic strains were evaluated in this study. Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 spores showed highest thermal resistance (D-value 35.71 at 90 °C) when compared with other Bacillus strains and Lactobacillus species. B. coagulans strains exhibited significantly higher resistance to simulated gastric juice (pH 1.3, 1.5, and 2.0) compared to Lactobacillus strains. It also showed high resistance to cooking conditions of chapati (whole wheat flour-based flatbread) (88.94% viability) and wheat noodles (and 94.56% viability), suggesting remarkable thermal resistance during food processing. Furthermore, B. coagulans MTCC 5856 retained 73% viability after microwave cooking conditions (300 s, at 260 °C) and 98.52% in milk and juice at pasteurization temperature (420 min, at 72 °C). Thus, B. coagulans MTCC 5856 clearly demonstrated excellent resistance to gastric acid and high temperature (90 °C), thereby suggesting its extended application in functional foods (milk, fruit juices, chapati, and wheat noodles) wherein high temperature processing is involved.

Probiotic Potential and Cholesterol-Lowering Capabilities of Bacterial Strains Isolated from Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 'Chachiensis'

Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 'Chachiensis' (PCR-Chachiensis), the pericarps of Citri Reticulatae Blanco cv. Chachiensis, is a food condiment and traditional medicine in southeast and eastern Asia. Its rich and various bacterial community awaits exploration. The present study is the first report on probiotic screening and characterization of bacteria from PCR-Chachiensis. Based on 64 culturable bacterial isolates, 8 strains were screened out to have great survival in the simulated gastrointestinal stressful condition, being nonhemolytic and without biogenic amine formation. They were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as two Bacillus, three Lactobacillus, and three strains from Bacillales. Their probiotic properties, cholesterol-lowering potential and carbohydrate utilization capability were further investigated. Though these eight strains all displayed distinct cholesterol removal potential, Bacillus licheniformis N17-02 showed both remarkable cholesterol removal capability and presence of bile salt hydrolase gene, as well as possessing most of the desirable probiotic attributes. Thus, it could be a good probiotic candidate with hypocholesterolemic potential. Bacillus megaterium N17-12 displayed the widest carbohydrate utilization profile and the strongest antimicrobial activity. Hence, it was promising to be used as a probiotic in a host and as a fermentation starter in fermented food or feed.

Growth, survival, and metabolic activities of probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM-I745 in fermented coffee brews

Amidst rising demand for non-dairy probiotic foods, and growing interest in coffees with added functionalities, it would be opportune to ferment coffee brews with probiotics. However, challenges exist in maintaining probiotic viability in high-moisture food products. Here, we aimed to enhance the viability of the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, in coffee brews by co-culturing with the probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM-I745. The yeast significantly enhanced the viability of L. rhamnosus GG, as bacterial populations beyond 7 Log CFU/mL were maintained throughout 14 weeks of storage at 4 and 25 °C. In contrast, the single culture of L. rhamnosus GG suffered viability losses below 6 Log CFU/mL within 10 weeks at 4 °C, and 3 weeks at 25 °C. Growth and survival of S. boulardii CNCM-I745 remained unaffected by the presence of L. rhamnosus GG. Volatile profiles of coffee brews were altered by probiotic metabolic activities, but co-culturing led to suppressed generation of diacetyl and ethanol compared to single cultures. Probiotic fermentation did not alter principal coffee bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities; however, declines in peroxyl radical scavenging capacities were observed after ambient storage. Overall, we illustrate that yeasts are effective in enhancing probiotic bacterial viability in coffee brews, which may be useful in developing shelf stable probiotic food products.

Orange Juice and Yogurt Carrying Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086: Impact of Intake on Wistar Male Rats Health Parameters and Gut Bacterial Diversity

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the food matrix (orange juice and yogurt) on the effects of the spore-forming probiotic microorganism Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086 in health parameters and gastrointestinal tract (gut) bacterial diversity in Wistar male rats. Rats (n = 48) were randomly distributed into six groups. The groups were the Control (which received sterile distilled water), Juice (which received orange juice), Yogurt (which received yogurt), Probiotic Bacillus (which received B. coagulans GBI-30 6086 in distilled water), Probiotic Juice (which received orange juice with B. coagulans GBI-30 6086), and Probiotic Yogurt (which received yogurt with B. coagulans GBI-30 6086). Each animal belonging to the different groups was treated for 21 days. The daily administration of probiotic juice or probiotic yogurt did not affect the rats’ food or body weight. Rats fed with Probiotic Yogurt showed lower glucose and triglycerides levels (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05), while no changes in these parameters were observed in the rats fed with Probiotic Juice. Rats fed with Probiotic Yogurt showed a higher gut bacterial diversity than the control group (p < 0.05), and higher abundance (p < 0.05) of Vibrionales, Enterobacteriales, Burkholderiales, Erysipelotrichales, and Bifidobacteriales compared to all other groups. No changes were observed in the expression levels of antioxidant enzymes or heat shock protein 70 of rats fed with probiotic yogurt or probiotic juice. Results reveal that the consumption of yogurt containing B. coagulans GBI-30 6086 decreases triglycerides and glucose levels and positively impacts the gut bacterial ecology in healthy rats. These animal model findings indicate that the matrix also impacts the functionality of foods carrying spore-forming probiotics. Besides, this research indicates that yogurt is also a suitable food carrier of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086.

The applications of B. coagulans TCI711 in alcohol elimination

This study demonstrates the applications of Bacillus coagulans in alcohol elimination. Bacillus coagulans has recently drawn tremendous interest in the food industry and medicine considering its great environmental tolerance and beneficial effects on improving gastrointestinal diseases. However, few scientific reports connect its utilities with alcohol elimination. In this study, we introduced the unique strain B. coagulans TCI711 for such exploration. TCI711 contained alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) by mass spectrum and resisted gastric acid and bile acid. Also, taking TCI711 capsules for a week can significantly improve alcohol metabolism in humans (breath alcohol level indicated 0 mg/kg in 2 h after drinking 75 mL of whisky). In brief, this exploratory research unveiled the potent applications of B. coagulans in alcohol elimination in humans.

Standardized Emblica officinalis fruit extract inhibited the activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 and displayed antioxidant potential

BACKGROUND

Emblica officinalis, known as amla in Ayurveda, has been used as a folk medicine to treat numerous pathological conditions, including diabetes. However, the novel extract of E. officinalis fruit extract (amla fruit extract, AFE, Saberry®) containing 100 g kg^-1 β-glucogallin along with hydrolyzable tannins has not yet been extensively studied for its antidiabetic potential.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of AFE and its stability during gastric stress as well as its thermostability.

METHODS

The effect of AFE on the inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase and salivary α-amylase enzymes was studied using starch and yeast α-glucosidase enzyme using 4-nitrophenyl α-d-glucopyranoside as substrate. Further, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and reactive oxygen species inhibition assay was performed against AFE.

RESULTS

AFE potently inhibited the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase in a concentration-dependent manner with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ ) values of 135.70 μg mL^-1 and 106.70 μg mL^-1 respectively. Furthermore, it also showed inhibition of α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ 562.9 μg mL^-1 ) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4; IC₅₀ 3770 μg mL^-1 ) enzyme activities. AFE is a potent antioxidant showing a free radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ 2.37 μg mL^-1 ) and protecting against cellular reactive oxygen species (IC₅₀ 1.77 μg mL^-1 ), and the effects elicited could be attributed to its phytoconstituents.

CONCLUSION

AFE showed significant gastric acid resistance and was also found to be thermostable against wet heat. Excellent α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP-4 inhibitory activities of AFE, as well as antioxidant activities, strongly recommend its use for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6068 decreases upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract symptoms in healthy Mexican scholar-aged children by modulating immune-related proteins

This randomized, double-blind, parallel and placebo-controlled study aimed to evaluate the effect of Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086® probiotic (GanedenBC³⁰®) against upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and gastrointestinal tract infections (GITI) in eighty healthy school-aged children (6-8 years old). The participants received daily a sachet containing either GanedenBC³⁰ (1 × 10⁹ colony-forming units) or placebo (maltodextrin) for three months. GanedenBC³⁰ significantly decreased the incidence of URTI symptoms including nasal congestion, bloody nasal mucus, itchy nose, and hoarseness. The duration of the URTI-associated symptoms of hoarseness, headache, red eyes, and fatigue was also decreased. GanedenBC³⁰ supplementation also significantly reduced the incidence rate of flatulence. These beneficial effects were associated with the modulation of serum TNFα, CD163, G-CSF, ICAM-1, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-2, RAGE, uPAR, and PF4. Therefore, probiotic B. coagulans GBI-30, 6086 modulated immune-related proteins in healthy children, decreasing several URTI and GITI symptoms, thus, this functional ingredient may contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

The resistance of Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus strains with claimed probiotic properties in different food matrices exposed to simulated gastrointestinal tract conditions

The resistance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacillus strains with claimed probiotic properties in different food matrices was evaluated. Lactobacillus paracasei PXN 37, Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, Bifidobacterium breve PXN 25, Bacillus subtilis PXN 21, Bacillus coagulans GBI30 6086 and Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 strains were inoculated in "requeijão cremoso" cheese, pasteurized orange juice, and bread. Further, the counts of the strains with claimed probiotic properties were determined throughout the products' shelf-life. Additionally, the survival (%), at the beginning and at the end of their shelf-life, of each strain with claimed probiotic properties inoculated in the three foods was estimated by using a static in vitro system simulating the gastric (pH 2), enteric I (pH 5) and enteric II (pH 7) phases of gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Overall, it has been found that the Bacillus strains with claimed probiotic properties showed greater viability than probiotic Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains no matter the food studied. The percentage of survival of the Bacillus strains with claimed probiotic properties were always above 83%. The Bacillus strains with claimed probiotic properties were able to survive well in all the food matrices tested. Therefore, this study shows that these strains of Bacillus may comprise a feasible strategy for expanding the range of "probiotic food" choices given their high resistance to the composition of foods, manufacturing steps, and resistance to simulated GIT conditions.