DuPont releases new clinical results on Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07

KANTVIK, Finland – DuPont Nutrition & Health and the University of Reading (UK) have released the results of a collaborative study on the effect of probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07? on immune function in healthy elderly subjects.

The report published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, states that consuming the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 can improve the function of specialised innate immune cells, the phagocytes, in elderly subjects. The elderly commonly have reduced immune function and this physiological effect may thus contribute to a better maintenance of their health.

“Immunity continues to be one of the main fields of research for DuPont Nutrition & Health. Alterations in the gut microbiota and immune functions of elderly adults are associated with higher susceptibility to infections and metabolic disorders,” said Dr Markus Lehtinen, senior scientist, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “Phagocytosis, by which immune cells ‘eat’ bacteria or infected cells, is one of the mechanisms that help to resist infections. Results of this study show that the probiotic Bi-07 may provide health benefits to elderly individuals by increasing the activity of phagocytic cells.”

Study design

Forty healthy elderly volunteers who successfully underwent a screening process for this specific study, were randomly divided into four groups. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised cross-over study was designed in which volunteers received maltodextrin as a placebo (8 g/d), prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) (8 g/d), probiotic (Bi-07?; 10⁹ colony-forming units/d) and synbiotic GOS + Bi-07? (8 g GOS/d and 10⁹ colony-forming units Bi-07?/d). Daily portions were based on dose-response clinical studies showing that an 8 g portion of GOS increases the number of bifidobacteria in the intestine, anNike Air VaporMax 2019