Maintain a healthy Intestine Flora

BioCare Copenhagen offers a range of yeast cells (active ingredients), which can be used in food or food supplements.

Yeast Strains

The probiotic yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii has been shown to maintain and restore the flora in the large and small intestines and is therefore classified as a probiotic. Saccharomyces c. var. boulardii is a yeast strain which was originally isolated from lychee and mangosteen fruit in 1923 by the French scientist Henri Boulard. He observed that Southeast Asian natives chewed the skin of lychee and mangosteen to control symptoms of cholera and diarrhea.

Studies have demonstrated the antimicrobial and anti-toxin effects of S. c. var. boulardii and have shown that the strain helps to prevent pathogens adhering to the enterocytes, thus preserving a healthy endogenous flora. It also inhibits toxin receptor sites and hydrolyses bacterial toxins.

S. c. var. boulardii modulates the immune defense by stimulating secretory IgA and secretory components of immunoglobulins, which protect the intestinal mucosa from inflammation.

S. c. var. boulardii is one of the most effective probiotics to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Another yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae derived from baker’s yeast, has shown promising results in alleviating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome including significant reduction of the abdominal/bowel pain and discomfort.

Long-term Immune Stimulation

BioCare Copenhagen offers a wide range of microbial lysates (active ingredients), which can be used in food or food supplements.

Immunogens from Inactivated Bacteria

Microbial lysates are harmless bacterial antigens derived from different inactivated bacterial species and can be characterized as natural immunomodulators. The antigens are obtained from a mass culture of reference bacterial strains, using mechanical lysis of cells and lyophilization.

The bacterial antigens are able to activate monocytic macrophagic cells of the submucosa, inducing differentiation through immature dendritic cells and their maturation in mature dendritic cells. The activation of such a mechanism triggers a suitable stimulation of the immune response.

The bacterial lysate is both a specific and non-specific immunostimulating agent, indicated for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections, paradontosis, bacterial vaginosis or urinary tract infections.

Probiotics usually work fast and the bacteria only stay in the system for a relatively short period, e.g. 3-4 weeks, and will therefore not offer any long-term effect without a continuous intake. Microbial lysates, on the other hand, may not work as fast, but they offer a long-term effect.

Postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. Postbiotic lactic acid bacteria can be used very effectively to treat bacterial infections and intestinal upsets, since they do not rely on cell growth in the intestine, at a time when the intestinal conditions for growth may not be optimal.

Although the bacteria are dead, they still demonstrate an antagonistic effect against invasive pathogens in the intestine by increasing immune activity.

The postbiotic lactic acid bacteria inhibit pathogen bacteria due to:

• Stimulation of the immune response by;
  • - increased TNF-α production
  • - nitric oxide release
  • - increased phagocytic activity in macrophages
• Adhesion to enterocytes, which prevent pathogenic bacteria from colonizing and entering into the blood stream
• Residual bacteriocins from the cell culture which have a bacteriostatic activity and bactericidal effect on specific pathogenic bacteria