Reference case Omya: Proof-of-principle, improving probiotic stability using a functionalized mineral

Probiotics are live bacteria that are incorporated in food and pharmaceuticals to confer health benefits on the host. The health benefits are related to the gut microbiota and gut-associated immune system. To increase shelf life, probiotic formulations are generally dried to a powdered form before administration. Consequently, for effective delivery of probiotics to the host intestine, it is necessary to stabilize probiotics during the stages of production, storage, and ingestion. Omya has developed a functionalized mineral for enhancing the stability & performance of probiotic formulations. Together with NIZO, research was conducted to evaluate the mineral’s performance in probiotics production and delivery.

In the study performed at NIZO, the stabilizing effects of Omya’s functionalized mineral on probiotic viability were evaluated during the relevant phases of probiotic production and delivery by testing product formulation, in vitro digestion and shelf-life stability. A proof-of-principle was demonstrated using a representative in vitro digestion model.