The gut-heart axis: AB-Biotics’ probiotics offer proven “atheroprotective” benefits
11 Apr 2024 --- New research has revealed the cardiometabolic benefits of AB-Biotics’ AB-Life Lactiplantibacillus plantarum probiotic strains in combating atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ACVDs), the number one cause of death, globally. This study shows the underlying mechanisms of how AB-Life — which contains the L. plantarum strains, KABP 011, KABP 012 and KABP 013 — modulates digestive processes to bolster heart health.
AB-Biotics, a Kaneka company, emphasizes that earlier studies have already confirmed several benefits of the company’s probiotic offering.
However, the company highlights that this is the first study to show how AB-Life lowers the particle sizes of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and apolipoproteins such as ApoB — known biomarkers for developing atherosclerosis. The results also show protective health benefits for healthy individuals, underscoring the importance of the gut-heart axis.
“LDL particles transport a different quantity of cholesterol — depending on the particle size and content — but every LDL particle contains only one single copy of ApoB protein,” Jordi Espadaler, the innovation director at AB-Biotics, tells Nutrition Insight. “Thus, reduction of LDL-cholesterol concentration, if true, must be accompanied by an ApoB reduction.”
“This is exactly what we have observed in our study,” he explains.
A probiotic bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity interrupts absorption of bile acids, meaning that the liver needs to consume circulating LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) to create new conjugated bile acids. As a result, levels of LDL-C and ApoB protein decrease.
Importance of the gut-heart axis
The study, published in Cardiovascular Research, included 20 healthy, overweight men and women between the ages of 25 and 60. The researchers excluded individuals with chronic illnesses, those taking medication for heart or lipid conditions, people with a history of ACVDs and those in weight-loss programs.
The four-week, longitudinal trial tested the effects of AB-Life in escalating doses on subjects who maintained their usual diets and activity levels. Participants started with a set dose of one capsule containing a predetermined amount of colony-forming units of these strains and increased the amount weekly by one capsule.
The results reveal that the intervention with AB-Life probiotic strains reduces non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) and LDL-C levels within the first week. The probiotics also enhanced bile acid deconjugation in the gut, reducing intestinal reabsorption and lowering plasma apolipoprotein.
The study shows that AB-Life lowers cholesterol and has atheroprotective benefits for healthy individuals.
Additionally, the treatment improved LDL resistance to oxidation, increased HDL antioxidant properties, impacted gut microbiota composition and offered increased protection against dyslipidemia in patients with normal cholesterol levels, potentially reducing the need for drug interventions.
“The three strains in the product were selected in previous research due to their high BSH activity in vitro, which was clearly strain-specific,” Espadaler explains. “As observed in the supplementary material of the new study, we now know the precise deconjugation activity of AB-Life formula against major human conjugated bile acids.”
“Although many probiotics may display BSH activity, AB-Life is the only probiotic formula that has shown reduced conjugated bile acid in the serum of human volunteers, which correlated with a reduction of LDL-C concentration, a reduction of small LDL particle number, a reduction of ApoB and a reduction of LDL susceptibility to oxidation.”
“All these effects can be clearly linked. This is the first time that these combined artheroprotective effects have been described in a probiotic intervention.”
Looking toward the future
Espadaler further reveals that AB-Biotics has plans to advance precision research in its product portfolio by exploring the various health benefits of its products.
This includes investigations into the protective effects of their AB-Kolicare formula on infant gut barrier function, both in vitro and clinically. Additionally, the company is examining how its immune formula, AB21, activates adaptive immune responses.
“The results obtained in this study have raised many stimulating questions that we will address in the future, such as the mechanism behind preferent reduction of small LDL or the increased antioxidant capacity of HDL, among others hormonal and metabolic beneficial effects,” he underscores. “This study also opens new research lines for AB-Life formula in the metabolic field.”
“We believe these results deserve further research and efforts and we are now considering investigating this probiotic formula in support of liver and metabolic disorders.”
By William Bradford Nichols
