GanedenBC30® Reduces Colitis Symptoms

CLEVELANDGanedenBC30® (BC30), a probiotic from Ganeden Biotech, prolonged the survival and improved stool consistency of mice infected with Clostridium difficile (C. diffiicle)-induced colitis in a study published in the November issue of Gut Pathogens (2011 Oct 20;3(1):16).

C. diff is a bacterium that causes colitis, inflammation of the colon. People who have other illnesses or conditions requiring prolonged use of antibiotics, and the elderly, are at greater risk of acquiring C. diff. The spectrum of C. diff-associated disease  ranges from mild antibiotic-associated diarrhea to severe (or even life-threatening) colitis. C. diff-associated disease  is often treated successfully with standard antibiotics; however, recurrence occurs in many patients

In the recent study, female C57BL/6 mice received BC30 (109 CFU tid)  or a placebo for 15 days. Researchers from Ganeden Biotech and Penn State College of Medicine induced some mice with  the C. difficile strain VPI 10463 on the 11th day of the study. Mice in the C. difficile groups received an antibiotic mixture (study days five to eight in the drinking water) and the antibiotic clindamycin (10 mg/kg, i.p., on day 10 of the study). On the 16th day, stools and colons were collected for further analyses.

All mice treated with BC30 survived 13 days into the study, while two mice in the placebo did not survive. On the 12th day, a significant difference (P=0.0002) in the percentage of mice with normal stools (66.7 percent) was found in the BC30/C. difficile group, as compared to the placebo/C. diffcile group (13 percent).

On the 16th day, 23.8 percent of mice treated with BC30 had normal stools, while no mice in the placebo group had normal stools (P value=0.0187). The stool consistency score for the BC30/C. difficile group (1.1±0.2) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than for the placebo/C. difficile cohort (1.9±0.2). BC30 also modestly attenuated the colonic pathology (crypt damage, edema and leukocyte influx) that was present following C. difficile infection.

Some previous clinical studies focused on combined treatment with vancomycin and probiotics," said Leo R. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., lead principal investigator of the study and associate professor of pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine. But in this study, administering only GanedenBC30 to C. diff-infected mice resulted in an improvement in the consistency of their stool and reduction in the severity of the disease. This information is particularly helpful and potentially applicable for individuals going into the hospital or a nursing home, where the likelihood of obtaining this disease is higher."

Previous research has also shown BC30 helps reduce gas.

David Keller, vice president of scientific operations of Ganeden Biotech, said a second study was recently completed that also reinforces the positive effects of GanedenBC30.  This additional data, when it is made public, will further the understanding of how GanedenBC30 can be an important tool in dealing with C. diff," he said.

BC30 can be manufactured into a dietary supplement or  foods and beverages, such as muffins, yogurt, bars and tea. BC30 was also recently manufactured into a straw. Ganeden Biotech helped design, fund, and analyze the data of this study.