Morinaga sheds light on bifidobacterium

MORINAGA Milk Industry Co., Ltd, Japan’s second largest producer of dairy, embarked on a research to compare the capabilities of bifidobacteria in the gut (human residential bifidobacteria, HRB) versus other bifidobacteria (non-human residential bifidobacteria ,  nHRB). The results were further compared to mother’s milk and vitamin production through in-vitro and animal studies.

Bifidobacterium is a genus with over 40 species and subspecies, and are considered good bacteria. However, more research is required to understand each of the species.  Out of these species, about 10 can live in the human gut, and these 10 also differ in adults and infants. The differences are believed to be due to the evolution of each species. One characteristic that has not been fully studied to date is their actual differences of mechanism of action, and this was the quest of Morinaga. Based on initial findings, researchers said that bifidobacteria reside where they do due to their adaptation to diet and environment. For example, HRB appear to be more compatible with infant gut and are beneficial to the host. On the other hand, nHRB does not have the ability to grow in breast milk.

“It has been suggested that the selective growth of bifidobacteria observed in breastfed newborn infants is related to the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in human milk, however, in the in vitro experiments for growth in breast milk, undigested lactose should be sufficient for growth of Bifidobacterium even without assimilating HMOs,” explains Dr. Jin-zhong Xiao, Ph.D., Department Manager of Food Science & Technology Institute, Biological Function Research Department at Morinaga Milk Industry.  “The fact that HRBs possess high compatibility with human breast milk suggests how natural and more suitable HRBs are for consumption by human and infants. We will continue our research on bifidobacteria in order to understand the mechanisms of residential features of each species and evaluate the superiority of HRB for human health.”