BIFIDOBACTERIUM BREVE PRL2020

The role of bifidobacteria in the human microbiota

Bifidobacteria are a very important bacterial population for the human intestine.

They are the milestone of the intestinal microbiota of newborns (so much so that they can reach levels above 90% of the total bacterial population in the first year of life) and play a key role in the development of child’s immune system and intestinal motility.

Although in adults they represent a relatively small percentage compared to other bacterial communities, they play a particularly beneficial role for the body thanks to their anti-inflammatory and regulating activities of gut functions.

The infant microbiota that is in a condition of eubiosis (equilibrium) is particularly rich in three bifidobacterial species, B.longum infantis, B.breve, B.bifidum, capable of counteracting the Gram negative proteobacterial component. Among these species, B. breve seems to be the one correlated with a greater bacterial diversity, an index of intestinal health.

Unfortunately, bifidobacteria are so beneficial as well as susceptible to antibiotic activity.

It is known that antibiotics are essential drugs to defeat bacterial infections, but they are not able to distinguish between good and bad bacteria, thus bringing about a reduction of the entire intestinal bacterial compartment.

One of these antibiotics, rightly among the most used in the pediatric field but not only, is Amoxicillin, often associated with Clavulanic acid whose impact on the children’s microbiota has been the subject of a very recent clinical study. This study has highlighted how, by analyzing the faecal microbiota of children treated with Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid, a reduction of as much as 25% of gut bacterial species richness and above all a halving of the absolute abundance of bifidobacteria was found, compared to non- treated with the antibiotic.

The real problem is that the halving of bifidobacteria leaves room for the growth of other bacteria, sometimes pathogenic ones, capable of altering the balance of the intestinal microbiota.

Bifidobacteria and antibiotic therapy

Il B. breve prl2020: The best protection of the intestinal microbiota during Amoxicillin therapy

The project of researching a probiotic bacterial strain resistant to Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid has been kept in store for years with the purpose of develop a supplement to stem the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and the possible dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota,

Carrying out this project seemed like a distant horizon, until by a prestigious Italian research group engaged in the study of microbial genomics and experts in the characterization of the gut microbiota achieved this goal by isolating Bifidobacterium breve PRL2020, a bacterial strain resistant to high concentrations of Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin + Clavulanic Acid which it can, therefore, be administered during antibiotic therapy to prevent the drastic decline of bifidobacteria.

Of all the bifidobacterial strains analysed, Bifidobacterium breve PRL2020 was by far the most resistant to the activity of Amoxicillin and Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid, while 99% of the bifidobacteria analyzed proved to be totally sensitive to these antibiotics.

Obviously, the genome of B. breve PRL2020 has been entirely sequenced and it has been shown that its resistance is intrinsic and non-transferable to other bacteria. This feature allows the PRL2020 to be used in complete safety during therapy with Amoxicillin or Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid, maintaining high levels of bifidobacteria and thus contributing to the health of the intestinal microbiota.

Currently, B. breve PRL2020 is the only bifidobacterium marketed in the world resistant to Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid.

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