The project "Optimization and validation of the production of new generation probiotics for obesity" of two years, awarded in 2020 by the Valencian Agency for Innovation (AVI - GVA) to the IATA's research group of Prof. Yolanda Sanz reaches its end with great results.
This project focused on an intestinal bacterium with preclinical effectiveness against obesity, Phascolarctobacterium faecium (P. faecium) and had three main objectives:
1) To demonstrate that the bacterium is safe for consumption.
2) To optimize the production and scale-up of the bacterium.
3) To improve the stability of the bacteria by microencapsulation.
After two years carrying out different studies, the results show that P. faecium is not only effective against obesity in preclinical models, but also a safe bacterium that can be used to carry out efficacy studies in humans in order to be evaluated by regulatory bodies in the future.
One of the strengths of this project was to make progress in technical aspects of the production of the bacteria, which are important to enable the commercial exploitation of the product. In this regard, it should be notice that they have optimize and upscale its production, improving the yield, cost and reproducibility.
Furthermore, together with their collaborating partners, the Instituto Tecnológico de la Industria Agroalimentaria (AINIA), they have improved the stability of the bacteria by using microencapsulation techniques that allow the product to be preserved in the medium term.
Thanks to this project, they have significantly boosted this potential probiotic or live bio-therapeutic product towards its commercialization, and they hope that the society will be able to benefit from it soon.