Study supports postbiotic’s potential for blood sugar management
Stress is reported to affect glucose metabolism and is linked to insulin signaling-related metabolic syndrome, possibly contributing to the onset of diabetes, according to the researchers from Chung-Ang University College of Medicine.
Published in the Journal of Dairy Science, the study reported that daily supplementation with heat-killed (postbiotic) Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LRCC5314 had a greater impact on a number of stress-Type 2 diabetes-related factors than live (probiotic) MP-LRCC5314.
“These effects included the restoration of gut microbiota composition, increase in SCFA levels, suppression of corticosterone secretion, and regulation of the expression levels of mRNAs related to metabolic and immune responses,” the researchers wrote. “These findings indicate that MP-LRCC5314 may alleviate stress-T2D pathologies and can be used as a therapeutic supplement in dairy foods.”
They stressed, however, that the study’s findings need to be replicated, particularly in human studies, before they can be generalized to people with diabetes.
Probiotics vs postbiotics
Probiotics are defined by the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as: “Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”
Postbiotics are defined by ISAPP as a “preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host”.
The new study compared the efficacy of probiotic (live) L. plantarum LRCC5314 with postbiotic (heat-killed) L. plantarum LRCC5314.
The researchers divided lab mice with stress-induced diabetes into four equal groups: Group 1 received 30 g/kg/day of milk powder; Group 2 received the milk powder plus 100 million CFUs per day of live Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17; Group 3 received the probiotic LRCC5314 (100 CFUs per day) plus the milk powder; and Group 4 received the same as group 3 but the probiotic was heat-killed.
After 12 weeks, the study reported that the postbiotic was associated with superior effects in terms of boosting levels of beneficial bacteria and SCFA in the gut of the mice compared to the other three groups.
In addition, the postbiotic was associated with reductions in levels of the stress hormone corticosterone, as well as better regulation of “immune response, glucose metabolism, stress-T2D-related biomarkers in the brain, gut and adipose tissues, as well as glucose and insulin sensitivity” compared to both probiotic groups.
“This finding aligns with reports indicating that postbiotic components possess diversity and demonstrate effective absorption, metabolism and distribution in organisms, surpassing live probiotics in terms of cost, technology, and safety,” the researchers wrote.
“Taken together, this evidence suggests that dairy products containing postbiotic L. plantarum LRCC5314 that are effective in improving stress and T2D can be developed,” they added.
Source: Journal of Dairy Science
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.3168/jds.2023-24103
“The effect of postbiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LRCC5314 on blood sugar management”
Authors: J-H. Kim et al.
