Scientific understanding
of the gut microbiome
has grown exponentially.

Technological advancements in bacterial DNA sequencing have
led to a boom in microbiome research, enabling the identification
of how keystone bacterial strains function in the gut to impact
health throughout the body.

2 key functions are
critical to a healthy
gut microbiome.

Mucin Layer

Maintenance of the protective gut barrier mucin layer

Metabolite Production

Production of beneficial metabolites, such as butyrate

Precise bacterial strains

Precise bacterial strains are at the forefront of next generation probiotics because of their ability to perform key functions.

Akkermansia
muciniphila

Akkermansia muciniphila has appeared in over 2,000 scientific publications, and abundance of this strain has been associated with healthy weight1, maintaining intestinal integrity2, and improving metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance3.

Akkermansia muciniphila is estimated to make up 1-4% of a healthy human gut microbiome, making it one of the most abundant single species. The primary function of Akkermansia muciniphila is to support healthy mucin layer turnover in the intestines, and thus strengthen the intestinal lining. Furthermore, this process releases short chain fatty acids such as acetate and propionate, that support the abundance and diversity of other health-promoting microorganisms in the gut.

Clostridium butyricum

Clostridium butyricum digests dietary fibers and stimulates butyrate production, a short-chain fatty acid associated with modulating intestinal immune homeostasis, enhancing gut barrier function, and reducing inflammation4.

Administration of the human gut symbiont Clostridium butyricum appears promising in the management of gastrointestinal symptoms, but research also indicates potential indirect effects to brain and metabolic health5.

Emerging research shows targeting the microbiome may offer a cascade of health benefits well beyond the gut.

BMJ Journals Akkermansia muciniphila and improved metabolic health during a dietary intervention in obesity: relationship with gut microbiome richness and ecology
BMJ Journals Improvements to postprandial glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of a novel probiotic formulation
BMJ Journals Gut microbial metabolism and colon cancer: can manipulations of the microbiota be useful in the management of gastrointestinal health?
BMJ Journals Gut microbiota in human metabolic health and disease
BMJ Journals New horizons in microbiota and metabolic health research
White Paper Akkermansia muciniphila : Function, form, and future applications
BMJ Journals Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis: Probiotics and Their Association With Depression
BMJ Journals Diet, microbiota and brain health: unraveling the network intersecting metabolism and neurodegeneration
BMJ Journals The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis, a Potential Therapeutic Target for Substance-Related Disorders
BMJ Journals The gut microbiota-brain axis in behaviour and brain disorders
BMJ Journals Neuroprotective Effects of Clostridium butyricum against Vascular Dementia in Mice via Metabolic Butyrate
BMJ Journals The role of the probiotic Akkermansia muciniphila in brain functions: insights underpinning therapeutic potential
BMJ Journals Healthy gut, healthy bones: targeting the gut microbiome to promote bone health
BMJ Journals The association of gut microbiota with osteoporosis is mediated by amino acid metabolism: multiomics in a large cohort
BMJ Journals The Gut Microbiome in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Its Association with Metabolic Traits
BMJ Journals Association of Gut Microbiota during Early Pregnancy with Risk of Incident Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
BMJ Journals The impact of prenatal use of oral Clostridium butyricum on maternal group B Streptococcus colonization: A retrospective study
BMJ Journals Lactobacillus reuteri reduces bone loss in older women with low bone mineral density: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial

References

  1. Zhou K. Strategies to promote abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, an emerging probiotics in the gut, evidence from dietary intervention studies. J Funct Foods. 2017;33:194-201. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2017.03.045
  2. Geerlings SY, Kostopoulos I, De Vos WM, Belzer C. Akkermansia muciniphila in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract: When, Where, and How? Microorganisms. 2018; 6(3):75. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms6030075
  3. Everard A, Belzer C, Geurts L, Ouwerkerk JP, Druart C, Bindels LB, Guiot Y, Derrien M, Muccioli GG, Delzenne NM, de Vos WM, Cani PD. Cross-talk between Akkermansia muciniphila and intestinal epithelium controls diet-induced obesity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 May 28;110(22):9066-71. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1219451110. Epub 2013 May 13. PMID: 23671105; PMCID: PMC3670398.
  4. Koh A, De Vadder F, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Bäckhed F. From Dietary Fiber to Host Physiology: Short-Chain Fatty Acids as Key Bacterial Metabolites. Cell. 2016;165:1332–1345. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.041.
  5. Stoeva MK, Garcia-So J, Justice N, Myers J, Tyagi S, Nemchek M, McMurdie PJ, Kolterman O, Eid J. Butyrate-producing human gut symbiont, Clostridium butyricum, and its role in health and disease. Gut Microbes. 2021 Jan-Dec;13(1):1-28. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1907272. PMID: 33874858; PMCID: PMC8078720.