Across the Nutra-verse: Studying probiotic impact using an ingestible sensor, Europe lowers red yeast rice contaminant level, and more

USA​

Using an ingestible gas sensor to study the impact of probiotics​

Seed Health has announced a new partnership with digital health company Atmo Biosciences to study microbiome activity by using the Atmo Gas Capsule, which is said to be the first ingestible sensor technology to track location-specific gases through the human gastrointestinal tract.

Seed will use the capsule in a series of upcoming clinical studies on their flagship probiotic, the Daily Synbiotic.

“While antibiotics are a key frontline tool to treat and eliminate infections, they're also known to negatively impact the diversity and function of the gut microbiome as reflected in the variety of side effects they cause,”​ said Dr. Gregor Reid, distinguished professor at Western University and Lawson Institute Chair of Human Microbiology and Probiotics, and Seed's Chief Scientist.

“As a research and clinical tool, this device will contribute greatly to learning how interventions, including probiotics, alter the gut microbiome's activity and metabolic readouts.”​

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will include 64 healthy participants between the ages of 18-55.  Recruitment for the study is slated for December with the trial commencing in January 2020.

For more on this, please click HERE​​.

Europe​

Europe lowers max contaminant levels in red yeast rice-fermented supplements​

The European Commission (EC) has issued a notification to decrease the maximum limit of mycotoxin contaminant deemed acceptable for supplements fermented with red yeast rice, with the new max set at 100 micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg) of citrinin for food supplements.

“Given the remaining uncertainties as regards the toxicity of citrinin and the feasibility to achieve low levels of citrinin by applying good manufacturing practices, it is appropriate to lower the maximum level for citrinin in food supplements to ensure a high level of human health protection,” ​stated the Commission.

“Data provides evidence that very high levels of citrinin can be found in certain samples of these products, resulting in a high exposure to citrinin for consumers of these products.” ​

The new level will be effective from 1 April 2020

For more on this, please click HERE​​.

Asia​

Morinaga research reveals immunity-boosting metabolite produced in infant gut​

Scientists from Japan’s Morinaga Milk Industry have identified a key immunity-boosting metabolite produced by that the infant-type human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB).

Writing in Microorganisms​, the scientists report that strains of infant-type HRB, including B. longum ​BB536, B. breve​ M-16V and B. infantis ​M-63, produced higher levels of the key metabolite called indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) than other species.

This mean that, “strains of infant-type HRB could be better probiotic candidates for infant use,”​ said Dr Chyn Boon Wong, research associate at Morinaga Milk Industry.

Wong added that the new discovery on the metabolite of human bifidobacteria was a breakthrough in the field and would add value to infant nutrition products.

For more on this story, please click HERE​​.