Continuous progress of studies for reducing visceral fat, anti-allergy and anti-helicobacter pylori, etc.

The raw material supply enterprises are enriching the research data of each function direction under the background of increased demand for sterilized LAB. COMBI Company that takes “EC-12” as the brand has so far accumulated the research data of “EC-12” improving intestinal bacterial community and constipation, reducing visceral fat, improving allergic dermatitis and body defense, promoting avian influenza treatment, and improving acne, etc., and has recently published the paper titled effect of improving intestinal environment of Japanese females. The company is also developing and selling the only dead bifidobacteria “BR-108” in the industry, which can also improve intestinal flora and constipation, suppress hay fever, and promote NK cell activation, and has been confirmed the effect of inhibiting avian influenza germs by the latest research results. We can see that COMBI Company are making every effort in the research.

The enterococcus faecalis “EF-2001” developed by Nihon BERUMU Company that has been engaging in LAB R&D for over 30 years is confirmed to have effects like anti-allergy and improving ulcerative colitis. The company has recently published the paper titled the effect of improving ulcerative colitis through experiment in mice in Asian Federation of Societies for Lactic Acid Bacteria.

Broma Institute that has been engaging in LAB research since the initial stage of the Japanese sterilized LAB market has developed the “nanoECF” that uses enterococcus faecalis. The company works on the development of bacterial number and body utilization efficiency by taking immunity as the index, and proving of the product’s effect of improving intestinal flora in human trials.

Snowden Company that engages in LAB raw material research and sales by taking stomach health as the subject has proved the effect of own raw material “LAB LJ88” against helicobacter pylori in the trial; it confirmed that the raw material’s activity against helicobacter pylori was brought into play in vitro and in vivo, and the combination of helicobacter pylori and sterilized LAB LJ88 did not cause coagglutination, but damaged the helicobacter pylori. Previous studies on anti-helicobacter pylori obtained conclusions by experimenting live bacteria, however, the company confirmed the data of relevant effect through experimenting dead bacteria; the action principle was not the “coagglutination” in previous reports, and as they were not live bacteria, the secretion was inferred to be different from that of liquid factors like lactic acid. The company is currently actively studying the “mechanism of action of dead bacteria themselves” that may be associated with the molecules on LJ88 cell surface and the structure thereof.

IHM that engages in plant lactobacillus has confirmed the immune-cell-degree “effect of suppressing inflammation of colitis disease and reducing mucosal injury” for “plant nano-LAB SNK”, which the company uses to conduct publicity different from other companies and actively conduct market education.

The FFC market of dead LAB worth expecting

The food with function claims (FFC) “KARADA ‘CALPIS’” (filed No.: B20) of Asahi Soft Drinks that uses the LAB CP1563 strain as the functional ingredient has been marketed in April this year, with the functionality publicized as “function of reducing body fat”, and has been actively conducted marketing. Most of previous specific health foods and FFC claimed the intestine regulating function, while the FFC “Megumi Lactobacillus Gasseri SP Strain Yogurt” (filed No.: A46, A47) added with live bacteria of the MEGMILK SNOW BRAND Company had the selling point of reducing visceral fat, with the market growing by 7 times, which remains fresh in my memory. Asahi Soft Drinks is the first company selling the FFC of sterilized LAB not claiming intestine regulating function, and its future sales situation is quite noteworthy.

There are also some manufacturers getting ready to apply for the FFC with sterilized LAB as the functional ingredient, therefore, the FFC market of the sterilized LAB is also quite worth expecting!

By Wang Hesong