DE111 probiotic thrives in the human GI tract, study finds

03 Aug 2021 --- Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes’ latest study reveals its spore-forming probiotic Bacillus subtilis DE111 survives and replicates throughout the small intestine.

For the first time, researchers were able to directly investigate spore germination in the human small intestine under real-time in-vivo conditions. This was because the 11 study participants had ileostomies, a procedure where contents from the small intestine bypass the colon and exit through the abdominal wall into ileal bags.

“Germination of spore-forming probiotics in the small intestines is of particular importance considering that a significant portion of the immune system is located in that portion of the gut and the majority of digestion and nutrient absorption occurs there,” says John Deaton, vice president of science and technology at Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes.

“Prior to this new study, others have attempted to determine spore germination in the small intestine through simulated lab models or animal studies, but none have investigated actual in-vivo spore germination in the human small intestine.”

A closer look into Bacillus subtilis DE111
Participants in the study aged 24 to 75 years old with ileal bags were given 5 billion colony forming units (CFU) of DE111 or placebo with a standardized meal. The participants were given a placebo first, then DE111 after a one-week washout period. The study was published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

For eight hours, the contents of their ileal bags were collected every hour after intake and the spore and vegetative DE111 cell counts were examined.Consuming Bacillus subtilis DE111 promotes digestive health and the immune system.

DE111 spores and DE111 vegetative cells were found in all individuals’ ileal bags after they consumed DE111. Notably, the placebo did not have these results post-consumption.

The combined DE111 spore and DE111 vegetative cell counts coming from the ileum were the same or more than the number of spores consumed at the start of the trial over the eight hour study period, which is the average time for food to fully transit from the mouth through the small intestines.

This reveals DE111’s longevity and its capacity to grow and multiply in the digestive tract.

“This study provides clear evidence that DE111 spores germinate in the human small intestine. This then provides support to show that consuming B. subtilis DE111 effectively promotes and supports immune and digestive health,” Deaton adds.

Probiotic investigated
In this space, under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) code, probiotic Bacillus subtilis has a list of published health claims regarding its use as a food ingredient.

Meanwhile, scientists looked at how neutrophils, macrophages and other innate immunity cells responded to bacterial lipopolysaccharide stimulation. The results indicated that DE111 supported the immune system.

By Nicole Kerr