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Postbiotics

Postbiotics. What are they? Is that even a correct spelling? You mean probiotics, right? These may be some of the thoughts in your mind upon hearing this word. Don’t worry about it. We will be walking through a lot of information in this article to help you understand as best as we can on what postbiotics are.

After spending 7 years of research on postbiotics and the beneficial effects it has on human health, our founder was convinced that this has to new compound could help many people. We were already familiar with probiotics helping people maintain their gut and intestinal health. However, we noticed that there were not many skincare options available to the general public that help maintain the skin microbiota or what you would call your skin microorganism balance.

The relationship between prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics.
PrebioticsProbioticsPostbiotics
Food for probiotics.Living friendly bacteria and microorganisms that have a symbiotic relationship with us and maintains our health.The leftover of probiotics during their lifecycle which consists of their dead cells, leftover waste and byproducts.
Basically fibre; Foods high in fibre are beans, whole grains, certain vegetables.Living bacteria found in yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, fermented bean paste, tempeh, sourdough bread and certain cheeses.Consists of short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharides, exopolysaccharides, enzymes, cell wall fragments, bacterial lysates, cell-free supernatants, various metabolites such as vitamins and amino acids.
Lives in our gut and on our skin.
The growth of friendly bacteria competes and fights off the growth of bad bacteria.
Friendly bacteria may also secrete other enzymes that inhibit the growth of bad bacteria.
Produces postbiotics
Definition of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics.

You can read about each topic in detail with these shortcuts :

Microbiota

Simple Definition : Microbiota is a community of good and bad bacteria, fungus, yeast and other microorganisms.

Microbiota refers to a community of microorganisms. A microbiota consists of a balance of “good” and “bad” microorganisms. The “good” ones give us benefits whereas the “bad” ones make us ill. The “good” and “bad” microorganisms are constantly battling each other to compete for living space and nutrients. When we maintain a healthy balance of “good” versus “bad” microorganisms, we will have optimal health. If the number of bad microorganisms in the microbiota are too many we will start to experience some health problems. Thus, you can imagine our microbiota as a neighbourhood that could consist of good or bad people and you would always want a good neighbourhood.

The purpose of eating foods containing probiotics is to introduce more “good” microorganisms into our system to improve the microbiota balance.

We have two main microbiota living in and on us which are the gut microbiota and the skin microbiota which are explained in more detail in the table below.

AspectGut MicrobiotaSkin Microbiota
Living locationIn your gut and intestinesOn your skin
Species of bacteria living there1. Lactobacilli
2. Streptococci
3. Enterobacteria
4. Enterococcus
5. Faecalis
6. Bacteroides
7. Bifidobacteria
8. Peptococcus
9. Peptostreptococc
10. Ruminococcus
11. Clostridia
1. Actinobacteria
2. Bacteroidetes
3. Cyanobacteria
4. Firmicutes
5. Proteobacteria
Effects when microbiota is balanced1. Help in digestion of cellulose
2. Supply essential nutrients
3. Synthesize Vitamin K
4. Promote angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels)
5. Promote enteric nerve function (intestinal nerve function)
6. Keep the community of bad bacteria low
1. Maintaining skin barrier
2. Maintain skin elasticity
3. Prevent dry, itchy skin and subsequent wounds due to scratching
4. Prevent wrinkles
5. Prevent discolouration
6. Prevent trans-epidermal water loss
7. Prevent thinning of epidermal layer
8. Keep the community of bad bacteria low
9. Inhibit the growth of fungus
Effects when microbiata is imbalanced1. Indigestion
2. Bloatedness
3. Development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which leads to stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
4. Heartburn and acid reflux
1. Dryness, itchiness
2. Flakiness
3. Development of signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles
4. Loss of skin elasticity
5. Eczema
6. Acne
7. Fungal infections
Explanation on gut versus skin microbiota

Prebiotics

Simple Definition : Prebiotics is the food of Probiotics

Prebiotics refers to the “food” that the probiotics eat. Prebiotics for gut probiotics are fibre compounds that pass undigested through the digestive tract. As these fibre compounds pass through digestive tract, it will be fermented by the intestinal microorganisms. At this stage, certain types of microorganisms are selectively stimulated to grow or activate themselves thus the probiotics (“good” microorganisms or bacteria) would grow in number or produce postbiotics.

Examples of prebiotics for gut “probiotics” are beta-glucan from oats, resistant starch from grains and beans and also inulin from chicory root. We will explain a little on how these three nutrients are processed in our body and what benefits they bestow upon us.

AspectBeta-glucan
(β-glucan)
Resistant starchInulin
DescriptionA form of polysaccharide (glucan / polycarbohydrate) that have different properties one of which is acting as soluble fibre.Starch that passes through the stomach and small intestine undigested and reached the large intestine.A form of polysaccharide (polycarbohydrate) which consists of fructans (polymers of fructose or plant sugar molecules) created by some plant types as an energy store. It is not easily digestable and plays a role as insoluble or fermentable fibre.
SourceCell walls of bacteria, fungi, mushroom, yeast, oat, barleyGrains, peas and beansAgave, wheat, onion, banana, garlic, asparagus, chicory
Popular understandingSoluble dietary fibre; Viscous fibre; however only oat and barley beta-glucans are solubleInsoluble fibre; fermentable fibreInsoluble fibre; does not increase blood sugar drastically due to it being difficult to digest
Popular consumptionOats for reducing LDL (low-density lipoprotein / bad) cholesterolFibre to help digestion; fibre supplementsA low sugar starch/carbohydrate for diabetics
Prebiotic functionSource of soluble, fermentable fibre which acts as a substrate for microbiota in the large intestinesWhen the insoluble fibre reaches the large intestine it begins to ferment and release nutrients that are absorbed in the colon for use in the liver, colon cells and other tissues.All insoluble fibres exhibit the same effect when they reach the large intestines. They undergo fermentation to release nutrients beneficial to our gut bacteria and intestinal cells.
Promotes calcium absorption in the gut.
Benefits1. Increase fecal bulk
2. Produce short-chain fatty acids that are important for feeding colonocytes which are your intestinal lining cells.
3. Induces gene expression in large intestine to promote digestion, cholesterol and glucose metabolism and affect the immune system and other systemic functions.
1. Increase fecal bulk
2. Produce short-chain fatty acids that are important for feeding colonocytes which are your intestinal lining cells.
3. Increases bacterial mass because it acts as “food” for your gut bacteria.
4. Behaves as a mild laxative to help you in passing motion.
1. Produce short-chain fatty acids that are important for feeding colonocytes which are your intestinal lining cells.
2. Introduce a high amount of fermentable fibre
3. Stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria which are beneficial for human health.
Summary of various aspects of the gut prebiotics beta-glucan, resistant starch and inulin.

How about prebiotics for skin microorganisms then? We cannot be applying fibre to our skins like how the gut bacteria need fermentable fibre. So what do skin microorganisms eat then? The prebiotics for skin are xylitol, rhamnose, fructooligosaccharides, glucomannan, inulin, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, fructose, glucose and finally extracts from garlic, onions, oats, barley, wheat bran, asparagus, bananas and flaxseed which likely contribute similar elements highlighted above which are the beta-glucans and inulin itself.

Skin prebioticDescription and effect
Xylitol1. A sugar alcohol derived from plants and occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables such as plums, cauliflower and pumpkin.
2. Normally used as a sugar substitute as it is a naturally sweet but does not digest easily so it does not raise blood sugar levels drastically.
3. Has prebiotic functions in the gut and on the skin.
4. On skin, it behaves as a prebiotic so it feeds probiotics on your skin. It helps reduce moisture loss and promote skin barrier formation. If introduced into diet, xylitol can help improve skin thickness.
Rhamnose1. Isolated from buckthorn
2. Acts as a prebiotic for skin microorganisms
3. Behaves as a humectant (promotes moisture retention)
4. Appears to soothe skin.
5. Promotes collagen production.
6. Increases skin thickness.
7. Inhibits the cytotoxic effects of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) which disrupts skin growth and breakdown. In other words, AGEs cause aging. AGEs are prominent in animal based foods such as meats and cheeses and the amount of AGE increases after cooking.
8. Inhibits enzymes that cause aging.
Fructooligosaccharides1. Behaves as a sweetener with about 30% – 50% of the sweetness of sugar.
2. Is not easily digested in the gut so it does not raise blood sugar levels drastically. This makes it a good sugar replacement for diabetics.
4. Acts as a dietary fibre and prebiotic in the gut and on the skin. Especially promotes the growth of bifidobacteria which are beneficial to human health.
4. Promotes calcium absorption in the gut.
5. Like inulin, it also produces short-chain fatty acids which are essential for your gut cells.
6. On the skin, it acts as a humectant (promotes moisture retention), promotes beneficial microorganism growth, strengthens the skin barrier which prevents your skin from moisture loss, protects you from free radicals as well as the external environment.
Glucomannan1. Present in the the konjac or konnyaku plant which is commonly used to make konjac jelly.
2. Glucomannan is a water-soluble polysaccharide that behaves as a dietary/fermentable fibre.
3. Used as an emulsifier and thickener and provides a jelly-like texture.
4. As a prebiotic, it encourages the growth of probiotics that control other acne-causing bacteria on our skin.
5. Skin moisturising.
Inulin1. Behaves very similarly to fructooligosaccharides.
Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide (α-Glucan)1. Alpha-glucans are polysaccharides which are derived from starch and glycogens unlike beta-glucans which are derived from fungi, mushroom, yeast and whole grains like oat and barley.
2. Alpha-glucans do not get digested in the small intestine and are fermented in the large intestine. It behaves as a prebiotic.
3. The alpha-glucan polysaccharide is broken down into alpha-glucan oligosaccharides which are shorter chains of sugar.
3. On the skin, alpha-glucan oligosaccharide behaves similar to beta-glucans with anti-oxidant benefits.
Summary of information regarding skin prebiotics.

Probiotics

Simple Definition : Probiotics are the friendly bacteria living in your gut and on your skin that help you maintain a healthy body.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that provide health benefits to us. They live in our gut and on our skin and in the course of their lives will be consuming and breaking down prebiotics to release a variety of enzymes, compounds, vitamins, anti-microbial compounds and fatty acids that are necessary for our body’s functions.

Probiotics were first discovered in 1905 by a Bulgarian physician and microbiologist Stamen Grigorov who found the probiotic species Lactobacillus bulgaricus in Bulgarian yoghurt. Russian scientist and Nobel laureate Élie Metchnikoff then came to a conclusion in 1907 that the Bulgarian peasants who were consuming yoghurt lived longer due to the beneficial effects of the probiotics.

Probiotics are commonly found in food items that are fermented, such as cheeses, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, bean paste, tempeh and many others.

Let’s look at some species of probiotics and what they do for us.

LocationGenusFunctionSpeciesBenefits
GutBifidobacteriaThis genus is commonly used in foods and supplements.
1. Support immune system
2. Limit the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestine
3. Help break down lactose into nutrients for the body
B. animalis1. Used in Dannon’s Activia yoghurt.
2. Helps in digestion and fighting food-borne bacteria.
3. Can boost immune system.
B. breve1. Lives in digestive tract and vagina.
2. Fights infection causing bacteria and yeast.
3. Helps ferment fibres and sugars in your body to extract nutrients for your body to absorb.
B. lactis1. Derived from raw milk.
2. Used in Nestle’s probiotic infant formula.
B. longum1. Helps break down carbohydrates.
2. Acts as an antioxidant.
LactobacillusThis genus produces lactase, which is the enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugars)
1. Produce lactic acid which controls the population of bad bacteria
L. acidophilus1. Helps digestion
2. Found in both intestines and vagina and helps fight off bad bacteria in both places.
L. reuteri1. Found in the mouth and intestines. Helps fight off bad bacteria in both places.
L. rhamnosus1. Helps prevent and treat gut infections and diarrhoea.
2. Stimulate immune response to promote vaccination.
3. Prevent allergic symptoms.
L. casei1. Supports immune system.
2. Treat occasional constipation and diarrhoea.
LactiplantibacillusL. plantarum1. Found in mouth and gut.
2. Helps treat atopic dermatitis.
3. Reduces inflammation.
4. Treats inflammatory bowel syndrome where there is inflammation of the intestinal lining.
5. Treats irritable bowel syndrome symptoms such as constipation and diarrhoea.
SkinNitrobacter1. Protect against fungi.
2. Protect against UV-induced skin damage.
Lactobacillus1. Reduce skin inflammation, acne and redness.
2. Improve skin barrier function.
Bifidobacterium1. Reduce skin sensitivity.
2. E.g. People with eczema, dry, irritated skin can tolerate products without stinging or burning.
B. breve B-31. Help hydrate skin.
2. Improve skin barrier.
Vitreoscilla1. Improve skin barrier function.
BascillusBascillus coagulans1. Antioxidative effect
StaphylococcusStaphylococcus hominis1. Suppress growth of certain bacterium that can cause eczema anddry skin.
Staphylococcus epidermidis
StreptococcusStreptococcus thermophilus1. increase the production of ceramids
Different species of probiotics

Postbiotics

Simple Definition : Postbiotics are produced by probiotics after they have eaten and digested prebiotics. Postbiotics also consist of inactivated probiotics. Postbiotics are beneficial to our health.

Postbiotics are the metabolites (the end result of metabolism which is the process of living) left behind by probiotics after they have digested prebiotics or after the probiotics die and their cells burst (undergo lysis).

Postbiotics also include the inactivated forms of probiotics called paraprobiotics which are probiotics that are treated using heat, ultraviolet, chemical, gamma-irradiation or sonication. The species of probiotics suitable to be treated to become parapostbiotics are :

Probiotics genusProbiotics species suitable to be treated into paraprobiotics
Bifidobacterium1. Bifidobacterium breve
2. Bifidobacterium longum
3. Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis
Enterococcus1. Enterococcus faecalis
Lactobacillus1. Lactobacillus acidophilus
2. Lactobacillus brevis
3. Lactobacillus bulgaricus
4. Lactobacillus casei
5. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus
6. Lactobacillus fermentum
7. Lactobacillus johnsonii
8. Lactobacillus paracasei
9. Lactobacillus plantarum
10. Lactobacillus reuteri
11. Lactobacillus salivarius
Lactococcus1. Lactococcus lactis
Streptococcus1. Streptococcus salivarius subspecies thermophilus
Probiotics suitable to be inactivated and turned into paraprobiotics

Below are a list of postbiotic metabolites and their effects :

Postbiotic MetaboliteDescription
Cellular fragmentsPieces of cells that are shed or excreted from the living cells (microvesicles and exosomes), or when the cell dies gracefully (apoptosis) or when it dies traumatically or because of infection (necrosis).
Postbiotics may contain a degree of the probiotic cellular fragments.
Of all the types of cellular fragments described, those released due to necrosis may cause your body to trigger an inflammatory response.
Cell lysatesThe contents of a cell after it lyses (undergoes lysis and bursts open) spilling out all its contents in a “soup”. This is usually done in a controlled manner and paraprobiotics actually causes cells to lyse and turn into this cellular “soup”. This cellular soup contains all the proteins, amino acids and other active ingredients contained within the cell.
Vitamin BVitamin B are a group of 8 water-soluble vitamins each one with a special function. Together they help with brain function, maintain your nervous system, maintain cell metabolism and your energy levels. Vitamin B3 deficiency leads to dermatitis. Vitamin B5 deficiency leads to acne. Vitamin B6 deficiency causes seborrhoeic dermatitis-like symptoms which are scaly patches, inflamed skin and dandruff.
Vitamin KA family of fat soluble vitamins required in the process of blood coagulation, binding of calcium in bones and other tissues. There will be a slight effect on repairing blood vessels under the skin.
Amino acidsAmino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins. They serve various functions such as protein synthesis, tissue repair and nutrient absorption. As amino acids are the base building blocks, they are easily absorbed by the body and help skin and muscle repair rapidly.
Antimicrobial peptides (bacteriocins)Peptides consist of a string of 5-20 amino acids. Antimicrobial peptides, as their name implies, have a natural anti-microorganism and anti-bacterial action upon bad microorganisms and bad bacteria that may try to grow in our gut and on our skin.
Short-chain fatty acidsAbsorbed by the liver and intestinal epithelial cells to provide them energy. Improves the skin barrier. Relieves skin inflammation.
Plasmalogens
(may not be present in enough quantity)
Plasmalogens are a type of phospholipid that exist in cell membranes. They easily oxidize but that also gives plasmalogens its antioxidative effect. As postbiotics consist of cell fragments and cell lysates, there could be some degree of plasmalogens contained inside but due to its ability to quickly oxidize there might not be much left once the postbiotics are created.
Extracellular polysaccharides
(non-beneficial to human health)
Extracellular polysaccharides are long chains of simple sugars (monosaccharides). These are created by certain microorganisms to form a protective outer coating or biofilm to protect themselves. These are only for the protection of the probiotics themselves when they’re alive and does not benefits human health.
Teichoic acid
(non-beneficial to human health)
Teichoic acid is also essential in building cell walls and cell function. It however causes immune response and inflammation in humans.
Summary of the components in postbiotics
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