Propelling probiotics: Industry goes beyond the gut-brain axis with immunity, eye and skin health at FiE 2022

13 Dec 2022 --- Advances in the formulations, formats and application of probiotic products took center stage during the recent FiE and HiE 2022 trade show while healthy aging, immunity and beauty-from-within remain key themes driving innovation.

NutritionInsight speaks with industry professionals from AB Biotics and Probiotical about the successes and challenges of this year as well as the innovations, trends and future direction the companies and products are heading.

“We are one of the first companies to speak about the gut-eye axis,” says Vera Mogna, CEO of Probiotical. “We know that there is not only a gut-brain axis, but we believe that there is a strong connection between the gut, and the eye and we have already made some clinical trials, and we continue to invest in that.”

Sergi Audivert Brugué, founder and executive director of AB Biotics, states that the company expects to become a major player in the probiotics space and further reveals that the probiotic innovators are already gearing up for future endeavors.

Toward a fermented futureAB Biotics’ new Yogumel solution allows consumers to make their own probiotic-infused yogurt at home.
The two companies are confident in the prospects of probiotics in the coming year.

“In the next year, we will have a lot of different news,” says Mogna. “First of all, we are continuing to study the gut axis, and we will continue, of course, to invest in prevention and immunity because we think it’s very important in several therapeutic areas.” 

“We will continue to study the skin, and we will launch a new line for skin health at the end of March,” Mogna reveals.

“We have also started research into postbiotics because of the stability and longer shelf life,” Brugué divulges.

Functions and formats
One of AB Biotics’ debuting innovations is its Yogumel, at-home, do-it-yourself yogurt solutions. 

“Of course, we are applying our probiotic strains to regular products like dairy, fresh and fermented dairy products,” says Brugué. “We are also bringing a solution for homemade yogurt that includes our probiotics.”

Brugué further elaborates: “This product allows consumers to make their own biotic yogurt at home, including kefir and Greek yogurt, and we applied different probiotics that can enhance immunity or that have digestion benefits, and that could be beneficial for everyone in the family.” 

“We are also going a little bit beyond dairy products and are presenting a fermented fruit juice.”Vera Mogna states that Probiotical will launch a probiotic skin product in March 2023.

Particular probiotics
Both companies agree that one of the main factors driving probiotic innovation is the link the gut microbiome has with many aspects of health and healthy living and detail that several recent studies strongly support the gut-brain, gut-immunity, gut-skin and gut-eye axes.

“We presented a new clinical trial one month ago for mood, and we continue to study factors contributing to things like stress and sleep disorders to see how our strains can improve mood,” Mogna explains. “We found that with this particular bacteria that we studied, we have a really strong efficacy.”

Mogna further explains that Probiotical began studying the gut-brain axis years ago, and as a result of that research, she says she is certain of the capabilities of the company’s products.

“For example, gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA] can have a strong effect on the brain,” she says. “That means that people that were involved in our study had better sleep, less stress and less anger also. This is a very important improvement of the mood.” 

Brugué states that AB Biotics had received many requests from the food industry and brands.

“This is what drove the company to start researching the best way to apply our probiotic strains into different products,” he elaborates. “We have a long story including clinical research and science about our strains in order to bring the health benefits to the customers and the food market.”

By William Bradford Nichols