Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) has developed a method that allows for the lossless delivery of probiotics and prebiotics into the intestines of farm animals.
Synbiotic drugs containing both probiotics and prebiotics have proven themselves to be effective in treating animals. Their disadvantage is that they do not enter the intestine in full: some of the beneficial bacteria die in the stomach. NSTU-NETI scientists have proposed to solve this problem using a special gel that will protect synbiotics from an aggressive pH environment and deliver them to the intestine.
"Our development is to protect bacteria and their metabolites from the high acidity of the stomach. To do this, we offer a polymer-based gel similar to the one we previously created to preserve brewing yeast. It not only allows synbiotics to enter the intestine, but also acts as a substrate — a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria," said Victoria Betz, project manager, director of the Biopolymer Technologies Scientific and Educational Center at NSTU-NETI.
The effectiveness of the biopolymer system has been proven in the laboratory: Experiments on antimicrobial mice have shown that thanks to the polymer gel, the number of bacteria in the intestines of animals has increased significantly. "We have obtained controlled delivery of probiotic components to the target parts of the intestine and have proven the absolute effectiveness of this development as a deliverer of active ingredients," said Victoria Betz.
The project on the development of biopolymer systems for the controlled delivery of synbiotics has received support The Russian Science Foundation. The scientists of NSTU-NETI plan to create a complex drug that will include not only bacteria, but also auxiliary substances, and conduct a series of experiments on various types of farm animals. "The result will be a feed additive with an integrated approach and a pronounced therapeutic effect," Victoria Betz emphasized.