With this article we would like to give you more information about bacteria in general and what the term spore formation actually means.
1. What are bacteria and what are the differences?
Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms belonging to the prokaryotes. This means that they have no cell nucleus and their genetic material lies directly in the cytoplasm. They are often very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. What you probably already know is that bacteria can be found in almost all habitats, e.g.B in the ground, in the water, but of course also in the human body. There are many different types of bacteria that can be morphologically divided into 3 basic forms: the rod, the cocci and the spirilla form.
But the structure, the coloring behavior, the transmission paths or the ability to form spores are also possible properties that can be used to classify bacteria. However, it is important to mention that in science the phylogenetic classification (genealogical history) of bacteria is based on the molecular structures of these organisms. Put simply, this means that as the degree of relatedness decreases, the molecular structures differ more and more in their composition.
Bacteria perform various tasks in the human body, many of which are vital. Some types of bacteria live in our digestive tract and help digest food by breaking down indigestible carbohydrates. Other bacteria produce vitamins that are essential for the human body.
Other bacteria can also act as protection against pathogenic bacteria, for example by preventing "bad" bacteria from colonizing the mucous membranes. Because not all bacteria are helpful for the human body. Pathogenic bacteria can cause disease by damaging tissues or producing toxins. This can lead to infections such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal infections or urinary tract infections.
2. What is meant by sporulation? What are the key differences between spore-forming and non-spore-forming bacteria?
Spore formation is the process by which bacteria form special survival structures called spores. Spore-forming strains of bacteria are able to form this "protective shell" of proteins and other molecules around themselves.
These spores are highly resistant to extreme conditions such as heat, drought, UV light, and many chemicals. The bacterial strains can go into a dormant state and reduce their normal metabolic activity when environmental conditions become poor. When conditions become favorable again, the spores can germinate and multiply into active bacteria.
Examples of spore-forming types of bacteria are Bacillus anthracis or Clostridium botulinum. On the other hand, non-spore-forming bacteria are organisms that do not form spores. An example are e.g.B the bacterial genera Bifidobacillus and Lactobacillus bacteria. Among other things, they are found in our intestines and are considered "good", i.e. health-promoting intestinal bacteria. Morphologically, they are predominantly rod-shaped and Gram-positive.
3. Why did we always choose the bacterial strains in our products?
As you now know, the human gut is an extremely complex ecosystem colonized by a variety of bacteria. Spore-forming bacteria such as Bacillus or Clostridium live in the gut microbiome, as well as a significant number and variety of non-spore-forming bacteria. These non-spore-forming bacteria include, for example, Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 and Bifidobacterium breve BR03. You can also find these two strains of bacteria in our Dailybacs.
In science, but also in society, it is often discussed how well probiotics (i.e. the bacteria) survive the journey through the gastrointestinal tract and also arrive where they are supposed to, namely in the large intestine. Two factors that make it difficult for bacteria to survive their journey are stomach acid and bile salts.
Unfortunately, incorrect information about spore-forming / non-spore-forming bacteria and about enteric-coated capsules is repeatedly disseminated in advertising and the media.
Scientific evidence shows that bacteria, even if they are not in an enteric-coated shell and do not form spores, can reach your intestines and work there.
The key to the survival of bacteria is not the capsule or the ability to form spores, but the individual characteristics of a bacterial strain. A quality feature for high-quality probiotic bacterial strains is good resistance to gastric acid and bile salts in order to survive the gastrointestinal passage well. This is encoded in the respective genome of the bacterial strain and is independent of an enteric capsule or the ability to form spores.
The Dailybacs only use bacterial strains that have been tested for their effectiveness in most clinical studies and have achieved the best results there. In general, non-spore-forming bacterial strains are much better researched, so there is about 4-5 times more scientific literature and studies on non-spore-forming probiotics. As you know, our products are always based on scientific evidence. Because based on this, we select each individual strain of bacteria and the other natural ingredients that go into our products. If you would like to have a closer look at the positive effects of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, please have a look in this article, we also have many more here scientific studies listed. It is also important to know that you cannot only absorb bacteria by taking our Dailybacs. By incorporating fermented (unpasteurized) foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, or kombucha into your daily routine, you can eat good bacteria and do your body some good.
If you still have questions or if there are topics that have not yet been explained to you in enough detail, you are welcome to contact us at info@mybacs.com. Again, we'll do our best to answer all your questions!
Sources
D. Goossens, D. Jonkers, M. Russel, A Thijs, A. van den Bogaard, E. Stobberingh, R. Stockbrügger, Survival of the probiotic, L. plantarum 299v and its effects on the faecal bacterial flora, with and without gastric acid inhibition, Digestive and Liver Disease, Volume 37, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 44-50, ISSN 1590-8658, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2004.07.018.
Tojo, Rafael, et al. "Intestinal microbiota in health and disease: role of bifidobacteria in gut homeostasis."World Journal of Gastroenterology (2014). https://digibuo.uniovi.es/dspace/bitstream/handle/10651/30291/15163.pdf?sequence=1
Derrien, M., & van Hylckama Vlieg, J. E T (2015). Fate, activity, and impact of ingested bacteria within the human gut microbiota. Trends in Microbiology, 23(6), 354-366 https://sci-hub.st/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966842X15000566
Wang, Z.-H., Gao, Q.-Y, & Fang, J.-Y (2013). Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Lactobacillus-containing and Bifidobacterium-containing Probiotic Compound Preparation in Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 47(1), 25-32.
https://sci-hub.st/10.1097/mcg.0b013e318266f6cf
