Quality concept
The cultures intended for microbiota must meet specific requirements.
In addition to technological suitability, these include a number of microbial fitness factors as a prerequisite for their effectiveness.
Highly efficient key strains
with natural resistance to gastric acid
In order for lactic acid-producing bacterial cultures to exert their beneficial effects, they must reach the intestine in as large a viable population as possible. However, as microorganisms they are generally very sensitive to digestive juices, and many bacterial strains usually do not survive passage through the stomach.
For this reason, the BactoFlor® preparations contain selected and tested strains that have proven that they inherently survive the gastric passage unscathed.
Natural gastric acid stability
With a few exceptions, probiotic strains are extremely sensitive to gastric and biliary secretions, which significantly impair their metabolic activity in the course of the gastrointestinal passage.
Bacterial strains with natural resistance to these digestive secretions not only survive passage through the stomach, but also demonstrate increased robustness in colonising the area close to the intestinal wall.
All strains selected for BactoFlor® must therefore demonstrate natural resistance to gastric and biliary secretions.
BactoFlor® Microcultures withstand a 3-hour incubation at 37°C in a gastric acid solution at pH 3.0 (equivalent to the pH value found in the stomach contents after a light meal) without any significant loss in viable count, which is why it is recommended to take BactoFlor® products after meals
A further advantage of the natural stability is that the coating with gastro-resistant pharmaceutical auxiliaries, which are intended to protect unstable strains from the gastric and bile secretions, can thereby be avoided.
Multiple combined cultures (multi-species)
Each BactoFlor® product contains a combination of different, complementary key strains, each of which performs its own important functions and whose concentrations are precisely harmonised with one another. As well as boasting greater effectiveness, the broad spectrum also offers the advantage that each section of the intestine is colonised with biocultures typical for this site (lactobacilli favour the small intestine and bifidobacteria favour the large intestine).
Study-compliant concentration
All BactoFlor® preparations contain tested, study-compliant concentrations of colony-forming units and therefore align with successful clinical studies.
The term colony-forming units (CFU) is used to express the concentration of micro-organisms in a product. Since concentrations of microcultures can vary significantly, the number of CFU per unit (capsule, tablet, sachet) is also the decisive quantity in a product and not the weight normally used, for example in milligrams.
The number of CFU is another important criterion in the selection of a product and its price-performance ratio. The individual BactoFlor® products contain high, study-compliant concentrations of CFU and ensure the optimum dose of bacterial cultures according to need. The declared concentration is maintained until the end of the shelf life (see storage stability), so the cultures in BactoFlor®, unlike conventional products, retain not only their viability and ability to multiply until the and of the shelf life, but also their full potency.
Storage stability by microencapsulation
Metabolically active microorganisms have only a limited shelf life, so if they are in constant contact with water (yoghurts, fermented drinks) they remain viable for only a few days and the products experience a rapid loss of viable count.
If water is gradually and gently removed from the cells, e.g., by freeze-drying (lyophilisation), the metabolic activity slows down to reach virtual standstill. In this state, the microorganisms survive unscathed for a long time and remain viable.
Renewed contact of the cells with water stimulates biochemical reactions in the cytoplasm and restores metabolism. The microorganisms reactivate to form biologically active organisms capable of reproduction.
Nevertheless, even freeze-dried cultures gradually lose their viability within a few weeks to months (depending on strain characteristics, storage conditions and environmental factors).
To maintain the high concentrations contained in BactoFlor® over the storage period, an innovative microencapsulation process is used.
Storage stability through high-barrier protective packaging
The use of optimised packaging materials also ensures the storage stability of the oxygen- and water vapour-sensitive probiotic cultures.
As a further measure to protect and preserve the microorganisms, the capsules of the BactoFlor® products are packaged in a particularly high-quality blister. This has the highest possible barrier of all packaging materials and enables the protection of the cultures from harmful oxygen and water vapour. This is crucial, especially for anaerobes, that is, bacteria that live in the absence of oxygen, such as bifidobacteria. A loss of activity due to external factors is thereby effectively minimised.
To maintain stability & concentration of bacterial cultures from adverse external influences
The blister pack protects each capsule right up until it is taken, and also provides convenient portability for use on the go.
Comparison of barrier values of conventional packaging materials in the MVTR test
The Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate (MVTR) test indicates the amount of moisture that can be passed through a membrane as water vapour per unit of time. The lower the MVTR, the more effective it is at preventing moisture accumulation.
As can be seen from the figure, the protective blisters used for BactoFlor® have absolute barrier protection, since no water vapour can pass through them. Other materials have significantly higher permeability, and the lid closure on cans or containers often represents an additional weak point, making these materials less suitable, particularly for higher-concentration preparations.
Practical, small capsules for direct consumption
BactoFlor® can be taken easily and comfortably with a little liquid thanks to the small, easy-to-swallow capsules. They do not need to be dissolved first with an activation time.
Suitable for those with food intolerances. Vegan. Non-GMO
BactoFlor® is filled into an innovative capsule made exclusively of vegetable cellulose and water. It is free from additives normally present in gelatine and cellulose capsules, such as gelling agents and thickeners, and salts which can initiate interactions with the active ingredients of the capsule content and delay their solubility.
The product does not contain any animal ingredients and is suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet.
BactoFlor® is free from gluten, lactose and milk protein, soya, artificial flavours and colours, preservative and sugars, histamine-forming bacteria and genetically modified organisms. It is suitable for people with relevant intolerances or allergies.
- Cellulose capsule, free from additives
- No ingredients of animal origin
- Suitable for allergies
Scientifically tested strains
Since microbiotic cultures deliver live microorganisms to the body, special qualitative requirements apply to the selection of cultures and product manufacturing.
All bacterial strains in the BactoFlor® preparations are fully identified and genetically stable by sequencing the 16S- rRNA regions. They comply with the internationally valid GRAS standard (Generally Recognised As Safe), and as such are safe and suitable for human consumption and have no potential for harmful changes.
The special protective packaging ensures that the cell structures remain stable even during storage and prevents any adverse changes.
The production is carried out under the strict GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) rules. For example, the 8 manufacturing steps are accompanied by 17 different quality assurance measures, which are applied a total of 61 times.
This results in an extraordinarily high product safety and a constant quality of the BactoFlor® preparations.
Production is under the external control of the testing institute SGS.
In-house production
BactoFlor® preparations are manufactured in our in-house production in Germany. This ensures the highest level of quality and production reliability. Certified by the testing institute SGS.
