Probiotic nasal spray development by spray drying.

The upper respiratory tract (URT) is the main entrance point for many viral and bacterial pathogens, and URT infections are among the most common infections in the world. Recent evidences by our own group and others imply the importance of lactobacilli as gatekeepers of a healthy URT. However, the benefits of putting health-promoting microbes or potential probiotics, such as these URT lactobacilli, in function of URT disease control and prevention is underestimated, among others because of the absence of adequate formulation modalities.

Strain-specific differences in behaviour among Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus cell wall mutants during direct compression.

The human body harbours a large variety of microbial communities. It is already well-known that these communities play an important role in human health. Therefore, microbial imbalances can be responsible for several health disorders by different mechanisms.

Impact of spray-drying on the pili of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

The preservation of the viability of microorganisms in probiotic formulations is the most important parameter ensuring the adequate concentration of live microorganisms at the time of administration. The formulation and processing techniques used to produce these probiotic formulations can influence the preservation of the microbial viability. However, it is also required that the bacteria maintain their key probiotic capacities during processing, formulation and shelf life.

Enhancing the viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG after spray drying and during storage.

Increasing knowledge about the human microbiome has led to a growing awareness of the potential of applying probiotics to improve our health. The pharmaceutical industry shows an emerging interest in pharmaceutical formulations containing these beneficial microbes, the so-called pharmabiotics. An important manufacturing step is the drying of the probiotics, as this can increase the stability and shelf life of the finished pharmabiotic product.

Interplay between Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Candida and the involvement of exopolysaccharides.

A number of clinical studies have shown protective effects of lactobacilli against Candida species in the gastrointestinal tract, the urogenital tract and the oral cavity, while others did not show clear effects. Evidence on the mode of action of lactobacilli against Candida is also still lacking. In this study, the anti-Candida activity of the model probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG was explored in different assays to determine molecular interactions.