The study published in the journalย Microbiology Spectrumโย โinvestigated the gluten-degrading activity of a probiotic blend of sevenย Lactobacillusโย andย Bacillus โstrainsย supplied by German Manufacturer Evonik (marketed as โIn Vivo Biotics Gluten Toleranceโ).
The placebo-controlled trial involving 70 healthy volunteers, found that the probiotic enhanced gluten digestion compared to placebo when participants were fed increasing quantities of gluten over 42 days.ย
โOur study presents a novel probiotic preparation suitable for people suffering from gluten-related disorders during gluten-free diet (GFD) and for healthy individuals because it enhances gluten digestion and promotes gut microbiota functionality,โ the authors from Italy concluded.ย
Gluten-freeโ
Gluten is a major protein in Western diets, with up toย 20 g gluten/dayโ. However, gluten resists complete digestion – gluten peptides larger than 10 amino acids are resistant to digestion due to their high proline content, andย humans lack the nine peptidasesโย required to hydrolyze gluten peptides with proline fully. This can cause issues for some people who suffer fromย celiac diseaseโย (1% of the population) andย other gluten-related disordersโย (up to 5%).
A gluten-free diet (GFD) is essential for managing celiac disease symptoms but is hard to maintain due to cross-contamination and other challenges. Gluten-free products often still contain trace amounts of gluten, and approximately onlyย 45% of celiac patients adhere effectively to a GFDโ.ย
โBecause gluten must be strictly avoided to stop autoimmune reactions and related health problems, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity present difficult hurdles,โ the authors of the research noted.
โHowever, because of the hidden presence of gluten in many food products and the constant danger of cross-contamination during food preparation and processing, total avoidance is frequently challenging.โ
The researchers previously screened bacterial strainsโย for their gluten-degrading capabilities under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, andย found that a preparation containing lactic acid bacteria, bacilli, bacterial cytoplasmic extracts, and bacterial proteases could assist in vitro gluten degradation.ย
Probiotic effectย โ
The new study consisted of a 32-day probiotic or placebo administration period, followed by 10 days of wash-out.
After a preliminary GFD period to eliminate residual gluten from feces, increasing amounts of gluten in capsule form (50 mgโ10 g) were administered, each one for four consecutive days.
Fecal samples were collected at baseline, 10 days of GFD, four days of 50 mg/day gluten intake, four days of 1 g/day gluten intake, four days of 3 g/day gluten intake, and 20 days of 10 g/day gluten intake, of which the last 10 days was the wash-out.ย
Results showed that, compared to placebo, the feces of volunteers fed with probiotics showed much lower amounts of residual gluten. The probiotics were also found to regulate the intestinal microbial communities, improvingย theย diversity of genera essential for preserving homeostasis.
Quantitative PCR confirmed all probiotics persisted during the intervention, some also during wash-out, and the probiotics promoted a fecal metabolome with potential immunomodulating activity, mainly related to derivatives of branched-chain amino acids and short-chain fatty acids.
The authors suggested that the results were due to three potential mechanisms: the hydrolysis of gluten into small non-immunogenic polypeptides; limited access of immunogenic polypeptides to the lamina propria and reduced epithelial permeability; andย maintenance of the gut microbiota homeostasisโ, with regulation of both internal and adaptive immune systems.ย
โOur present study is the only randomized, placebo-controlled trial applying a synergistic consortium of probiotic bacteria for gluten degradation, with positive repercussions for not only gluten-related disorders but also enhancing the overall digestion of this unusual protein in healthy individuals,โ they stated.ย
The authors noted that the โuntapped potential of gluten-degrading bacteria and their application in addressing the limitations of gluten-related disorder managementโ emphasized the significance of the result, however noting that โvalidation is required in follow-up studies also involving participants with CDโ.ย
Journal:ย Microbiology Spectrumโ
doi:ย https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03524-23โ
โNovel probiotic preparation with in vivo gluten-degrading activity and potential modulatory effects on the gut microbiotaโ
Authors: Nikoloudaki, O. Et al.ย