지금까지 박테리아가 건강상의 유익한 기능을 실행하기 위해서는 생존력이 중요하다고 알려져 왔다. 그러나 paraprobiotics 또는 postbiotics와 같은 새로운 용어의 등장으로, 생존 불가한 미생물 세포, 미생물 성분 또는 세포용해물이 추가적인 생물작용을 촉진시킴으로써 숙주에게 생리학적 이점을 제공할 수 있음이 밝혀졌다.
Postbiotics는 효소, 펩티드, 테이코산(teichoic acids, 그람양성균의 세포벽에 박혀있는 산성물질), 펩티도글리칸 유도 뮤로펩타이드(peptidoglycan-derived muropeptides), 다당류, 세포 표면 단백질 및 유기산과 같은 박테리아 분비물, 또는 세포용해물로부터 얻어지는 용해인자(제품 또는 신진대사 부산물)를 일컫는다.
Postbiotics는 항염증, 면역조절, 항비만, 혈압강하, 저콜레스테롤혈증, 항증식성 및 항산화 활성을 가지는 다양한 신호분자의 명확한 화학구조, 안전 투여량 파라미터 (safety dose parameter), 긴 저장수명으로 주목을 이끌었다. 이러한 특성들은 postbiotics가 특정한 생리적 기능들을 향상시킴으로써, 숙주의 건강 향상에 기여할 수 있음을 시사한다.
몇몇 연구들은 장내 세균세포(gut bacterial cells)의 건강증진 효과를 뒷받침하는 몇 가지 메커니즘에 대한 타당한 증거를 제시했다. 이 메커니즘들은 내장 microbiota의 변화, 점막과 상피세포의 경쟁적 순응 (competitive adherence), 상피 내막 장벽기능의 향상 및 면역계 조절을 포함한다. 이러한 메커니즘들은 박테리아의 생존력에 의존한다는 점이 중요하다.
Postbiotics: Uses + 5 Benefits for Gut Health & Beyond
July 31, 2017
While knowledge about the benefits associated with probioticsProbiotics are the “good” (or “friendly”) bacteria that colonize the digestive system and support many functions of the immune system.
Prebioticspostbiotics? Postbiotics are produced as a byproduct of the fermentation process carried out by probiotics. Examples include organic acids, bacteriocins, carbonic substances and enzymes.
A 2014 report published in the Journal of Gastroenterology states: (1)
Probiotics are alive nonpathogenic microorganisms present in the gut microbiota that confer benefits to the host for his health. Some of these beneficial effects are determined by secreted probiotic-derived factors that recently have been identified as postbiotic mediators.
Researchers now believe that for certain people suffering from inflammatory conditions, the use of postbiotics may be a smart alternative to the use of whole bacteria (in probiotic form). Due to their ability to decrease inflammation and help maintain colonic and intestinal homeostasis, postbiotics might be the next wave of supplements used to foster better gut health.
What Are Postbiotics?
Postbiotics are byproducts of probiotic bacterial fermentation. (2) When probiotics feed on certain types of fiber molecules in order to thrive, they leave behind “waste products” that are collectively called postbiotics. (3
Being a waste product might not sound too impressive, but more research is now showing that postbiotics might play an essential role in gut health. According to the Postbiotica website, an organization that’s affiliated with the University of Milan, “Most of the immunomodulatory activities of bacteria are associated to their metabolites.” (4) Benefits associated with postbiotics include helping treat:
- Inflammatory conditions including irritable bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Side effects due to obesity
- Allergic reactions, such as dermatitis or conjunctivitis
- Gut-related problems such as leaky gut syndrome, dysbiosis or small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Joint pain due to inflammation
- Diabetes and prediabetes
- Eye problems, including allergic conjunctivitis
- Side effects due to exposure to environmental irritants
- Skin problems, including acne or eczema
- Veterinary uses
While there’s still more to learn about how exactly postbiotics contribute to homeostasis, they seem to help regulate the microbiota via anti-pathogenic activities and supporting growth of beneficial bacteria. They also seem to help the immune system adapt to changes in gut bacteria by having regulatory effects.
Researchers at Probiotica explain that compared to taking probiotics, using postbiotics may have certain advantages. These include the fact that they don’t contain any harmful bacterial components, they’re considered very safe, they don’t require the need for bacterial growth or colonization in the host (the person taking the product), they can be used in lower concentrations, and they may contain higher amounts of active components.
Examples of postbiotics include:
- short-chain fatty acids, such as acetate, butyrate
- lipopolysaccharides, including polysaccharide A and exopolysaccharide
- muramyl dipeptide
- indole, derived from tryptophan
- teichoic acid
- lactocepin
- p40 molecule
Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics
The body is home to trillions of gut bacteria, which together are called the microbiome
- Prebiotics
- Probiotics
- Postbiotics
Bacteria that make up the microbiome are capable of sending inflammatory signals to the brain and elsewhere throughout the body, changing how food is digested, how hormones are produced, how capable insulin is of lowering glucose in the blood and many other functions. (5)
When pathogens take over the microbiome, dysbiosis occurs. This is associated with problems like diarrhea, allergies, IBS or IBD, and many others. Often these problems are treated with medications including anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory drugs. However, these can cause side effects.
- Prebiotics are types of soluble fiber molecules found in certain carbohydrates, especially those that are starchy. Their main role is to nurture probiotics by supplying them with energy, as probiotics feed on prebiotics through a process of fermentation. They’re undigestible by humans, meaning they pass through the human digestive system
- Types of prebiotics include oligosaccharides, arabinogalactans, fructooligosaccharides and inulin6) Include more high-fiber foods
- Probiotics are supplements or foods that contain viable microorganisms that alter the microflora of the host. Examples include bifidobacteria, lactobacillus and bacteroides. Probiotic bacteria have numerous roles, some of which include promoting intestinal barrier function, regulating inflammation, generating reactive oxygen species, regulating apoptosis (cell death), and helping with hormone and neurotransmitter production.
- Live probiotic bacteria can be taken in supplement form, including as pills, powders or liquids. Additionally, certain fermented foods
- When probiotics are combined with prebiotics, they’re often called synbiotics
Benefits
1. Help Support Growth of Probiotic “Good” Bacteria
Postbiotics are produced during metabolic processes carried out by lactic acid bacteria. They can mimic activities of probiotics in certain ways, in addition to helping probiotics thrive. Lactic acid bacteria that are supported by postbiotics have many benefits within the microbiome, including helping remove heavy metals7)
One of the most promising things about using postbiotics in place of probiotics is due to how postbiotics mimic the beneficial and therapeutic effects of probiotics while avoiding the risk of administering live microorganisms to patients who cannot tolerate them, such as those with immature intestinal barriers or impaired immune defenses.
Additionally, there’s some evidence that probiotic bacteria that are killed due to heat in the gastrointestinal tract may function as postbiotics. These microorganisms seem to retain their structure and continue to have beneficial effects on the host, such as accelerating intestinal barrier maturation and healing. (8)
2. Reduce the Presence of Harmful Pathogens
The body is home to both beneficial and harmful bacteria. Some natural substances — including certain herbs and plants — have antimicrobial properties, allowing them to diminish harmful bacteria and therefore helping prevent infections and illnesses. Researchers believe that postbiotics may have some of the same antimicrobrial abilities, which is why it’s speculated that postbiotics may be the next frontier in supporting the immune system against pathogens.
Some of the pathogens that postbiotics may be capable of diminishing include listeria monocytogenes, clostridium perfringens, salmonella enterica, and escherichia coli.
3. Help Lower Inflammatory Diseases and Oxidative Stress
Studies have found that probiotic bacteria, including lactobacillus casei DG (LC-DG), produce beneficial postbiotic byproducts that together help modulate inflammatory/immune responses. (9
Due to their ability to decrease inflammation, such as after someone has recovered from an illness or infection, probiotics and postbiotics together can be helpful for treating symptoms of IBS10)
4. May Help Lower Blood Sugar and Prevent Diabetes
A recent study done at McMaster University in Canada found that use of postbiotics is associated with reductions in blood sugar levels in obese individuals who have prediabetes11
Mice that were injected with the type of postbiotic called muramyl dipeptide experienced reduced adipose (fat) inflammation and reduced glucose intolerance even without losing any weight. Based on the study findings, certain postbiotics are therefore considered to be “insulin sensitizers” with various protective effects in obese or diabetic patients.
5. Well-Tolerated by Those with Suppressed Immune Systems (Including Infants)
Studies have found that probiotics are effective in decreasing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a serious health condition that is one of the leading causes of complications and death in preterm infants. NEC is characterized by intestinal injury and inflammation. It develops in about one out of 10 preterm infants and is considered a medical emergency.
While probiotics are currently considered “the most promising therapy on the horizon for this devastating disease,” researchers are now turning to prebiotics and postbiotics as potential alternatives or adjunctive therapies to probiotics. Probiotic and postbiotic bacteria are essential infants for digestion, absorption, storage of nutrients, development and immunity (just like they are in adults). Some infants cannot tolerate supplementing with live microorganisms (probiotic bacteria) but may respond well to prebiotics and postbiotics.
A 2014 report published in Clinics in Perinatology explains: “The infant/host provides an hospitable, temperature-stable, nutrient-rich environment for bacteria while receiving, in return, benefits from the commensal bacteria.” (12
Top Sources
For the most part, postbiotic supplements are still not widely available, especially compared to the number of probiotic products on the market. Look for postbiotic products that include a number of different types of postbiotics, especially short-chain fatty acids. One of the most researched types of short-chain fatty acids is butyrate.
You can also naturally increase your production of postbiotics by including certain foods in your diet, especially those with prebiotics and probiotics (mentioned above). Some of the best food and supplement sources to boost postbiotic concentration include: