Research Terms
Industries
This probiotic treatment protects human pancreatic beta cells, reducing the need for daily injections by allowing individuals with type 1 diabetes to make their own insulin naturally. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to create antibodies that destroy the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The inability to produce insulin results in irregular blood sugar levels, interfering with normal cellular functions. Type 1 diabetes can cause many health problems such as cardiovascular disease and kidney, eye, and nerve damage. An estimated 1.5 million Americans received a type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2020 . Standard treatments are invasive, requiring regular insulin injections or an implanted insulin pump.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed an oral probiotic treatment that inhibits the death of pancreatic beta cells, supporting natural insulin production. This will reduce a patient’s need for insulin therapy.
Probiotic treatment for type 1 diabetes that protects insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells
Isolated microvesicles from the naturally occurring probiotic Lactobacillus species can prevent or delay pancreatic beta cell death. By preserving the pancreatic beta cell population, individuals with type 1 diabetes can produce their own insulin. This treatment has already proven successful in phase 1 clinical trials and is currently in phase 2 trials at UF Health Shands Hospital. The microvesicles are administered orally and improve immune function and slow progression of the disease in at-risk, pre-diabetic, and diabetic individuals.
These compounds stabilize and improve the survival of bacteria of the Lactobacillus family during the manufacturing and storage of probiotic supplements. The global probiotics market will reach $77 billion by 2025. L. johnsonii can provide many benefits as a probiotic dietary supplement, such as improved immune function and better diabetes treatments. Manufacturers commonly use freeze-drying processes to prolong bacterial shelf life, but these also can damage the bacteria, reducing yields, and weakening the probiotic effect. Available compounds for improving bacteria’s endurance during freeze-drying have had limited effectiveness.
Researchers at the University of Florida have discovered an additive to stabilize bacteria during processing that increases survival, growth rates, and yield of L. johnsonii. This stabilizing compound improves the bacteria’s endurance during manufacturing processes such as freeze-drying better than commonly used compounds such as whey protein.
Probiotic manufacturing process that increases survival rate, yield, and shelf life of L. johnsonii
Lactobacillus bacteria grown with blueberry aqueous extract or freeze-dried using blueberry aqueous extract as a cryoprotectant have better survivability during the freeze-drying process and better growth rates under aerobic conditions. The bacteria’s growth during aerobic conditions is linked to the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that it produces. The phenolic compounds in the blueberry extract increase radical scavenging activity, which decreases oxidative stress, and act as signaling molecules to regulate the bacteria’s production of H2O2. This improves the growth rate and survival rate of bacteria during industrial processes, including those common in the production of probiotic supplements.
2033 MOWRY ROAD - GENETICS INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA GAINESVILLE, Fl 326100001
