BioGaia
BioGaia is a Swedish biotechnology company that develops, markets and sells a range of products with probiotics.[1][2][3]
Industry | Probiotics |
---|---|
Founded | 1990 |
Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Peter Rothschild (President) |
Products | BioGaia ProTectis drops, BioGaia ProTectis tablets, BioGaia ProTectis D3 drops, BioGaia ProTectis ORS, BioGaia ProDentis lozenges |
Website | http://www.biogaia.com |
The company owns several commercially important strains and a large number of different patents for commercial usage of Lactobacillus reuteri. BioGaia gut and immune health products contain L. reuteri Protectis (DSM 17938), one of the human L. reuteri strains. BioGaia Probiotics for oral health contain L. reuteri Prodentis, which is a blend of two L. reuteri strains DSM 17938 and ATCC PTA 5289.
Products containing L. reuteri have been proven to be both effective and safe in several areas; infant colic,[4][5] diarrhoea prevention and mitigation in children,[6][7] eradication of H. pylori infection and reduction of side effects from standard H. pylori treatment,[8][9][10] amelioration of gingivitis,[11][12] and general illness prevention in children[13] and adults.[14]
The BioGaia -B share is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange.
History
BioGaia was founded in 1990. In laboratories all over the world, different strains of L. reuteri already existed. However, the research director of BioGaia Dr. Ivan Casas was looking for a strain for commercial use that could somehow bring proof to “the Circle of Life” that he believed in so strongly.
He believed that there were more than one reason why newborn chickens were picking up and eating the faeces from their mothers and that this had to do with transfer of important microorganisms, from the mother to the sterile newborn bird. He was sure that the same situation was true for humans.[15] It is generally accepted that newborn babies are sterile at birth and very sensitive to bad bacteria before they establish a microbial flora of their own.[16] This flora should preferably come from their mother. Ivan was quite sure about that Lactobacillus reuteri was one of these bacteria that the mother should transfer to her offspring, whether a chicken, a human baby or any other mammal.
Ivan analysed breast milk from many mothers in the USA where he lived and also from South American mothers in Lima, Peru, without finding any L. reuteri. However, he was still convinced that L. reuteri should be found in breast milk if Mother Nature was to decide.[17]
Ivan had family in Peru and whilst he was there for vacation, he took some days to travel to the Andes and visit several Indian villages. He then went to the university laboratory in Lima and presented some samples of breast milk. They all contained numerous strains of L. reuteri, which were subsequently isolated.[18]
One of these strains is still used in BioGaia’s probiotic products all over the world.[19]
References
- Reid, G (1999). "The scientific basis for probiotic strains of Lactobacillus". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 65 (9): 3763–6. PMC 99697. PMID 10473372.
- Klein, K; Stevens, R (2008). "The clinical use of probiotics for young children". The Journal of Family Health Care. 18 (2): 66–8. PMID 18512639.
- Guandalini, S (2011). "Probiotics for prevention and treatment of diarrhea". Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 45 Suppl: S149–53. doi:10.1097/MCG.0b013e3182257e98. PMID 21992955.
- Savino, F.; Pelle, E.; Palumeri, E.; Oggero, R.; Miniero, R. (2007). "Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) Versus Simethicone in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Prospective Randomized Study". Pediatrics. 119 (1): 124–30. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1222. PMID 17200238.
- Savino, F.; Cordisco, L.; Tarasco, V.; Palumeri, E.; Calabrese, R.; Oggero, R.; Roos, S.; Matteuzzi, D. (2010). "Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 in Infantile Colic: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial". Pediatrics. 126 (3): e526–33. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-0433. PMID 20713478.
- Ruiz-Palacios, Guillermo; Guerrero, M. Lourdes; Hilty, Milo; Dohnalek, Margaret; Newton, Pamela; Calva, Juan J.; Costigan, Tim; Tuz, Fernando; Arteaga, Fernando (1996). "Feeding of A Probiotic for the Prevention of Community-Acquired Diarrhea in Young Mexican Children". Pediatric Research. 39 (4): 184. doi:10.1203/00006450-199604001-01111.
- Shornikova, Aino-Vieno; Casas, Ivan A.; Mykkänen, Hannu; Salo, Eeva; Vesikari, Timo (1997). "Bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus reuteri in rotavirus gastroenteritis". The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 16 (12): 1103–7. doi:10.1097/00006454-199712000-00002. PMID 9427453.
- Francavilla, R; Lionetti, E; Castellaneta, SP; Magistà, AM; Maurogiovanni, G; Bucci, N; De Canio, A; Indrio, F; et al. (2008). "Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori infection in humans by Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 and effect on eradication therapy: A pilot study". Helicobacter. 13 (2): 127–34. doi:10.1111/j.1523-5378.2008.00593.x. PMID 18321302.
- Lionetti, E; Miniello, VL; Castellaneta, SP; Magistá, AM; De Canio, A; Maurogiovanni, G; Ierardi, E; Cavallo, L; Francavilla, R (2006). "Lactobacillus reuteri therapy to reduce side-effects during anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment in children: A randomized placebo controlled trial". Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 24 (10): 1461–8. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.03145.x. PMID 17032283.
- Imase, K; Tanaka, A; Tokunaga, K; Sugano, H; Ishida, H; Takahashi, S (2007). "Lactobacillus reuteri tablets suppress Helicobacter pylori infection--a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled cross-over clinical study". Kansenshogaku Zasshi. 81 (4): 387–93. doi:10.11150/kansenshogakuzasshi1970.81.387. PMID 17695792.
- Vivekananda, MR; Vandana, KL; Bhat, KG (2010). "Effect of the probiotic Lactobacilli reuteri (Prodentis) in the management of periodontal disease: A preliminary randomized clinical trial". Journal of Oral Microbiology. 2: 5344. doi:10.3402/jom.v2i0.5344. PMC 3084569. PMID 21523225.
- Krasse, P; Carlsson, B; Dahl, C; Paulsson, A; Nilsson, A; Sinkiewicz, G (2006). "Decreased gum bleeding and reduced gingivitis by the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri". Swedish Dental Journal. 30 (2): 55–60. PMID 16878680.
- Weizman, Z; Asli, G; Alsheikh, A (2005). "Effect of a probiotic infant formula on infections in child care centers: Comparison of two probiotic agents". Pediatrics. 115 (1): 5–9. doi:10.1542/peds.2004-1815. PMID 15629974.
- Tubelius, P; Stan, V; Zachrisson, A (2005). "Increasing work-place healthiness with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri: A randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study". Environmental Health. 4: 25. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-4-25. PMC 1298318. PMID 16274475.
- Ivan a. Casas, Walter j. Dobrogosz (2000). "Validation of the Probiotic Concept:Lactobacillus reuteriConfers Broad-spectrum Protection against Disease in Humans and Animals". Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. 12 (4): 247–85. doi:10.1080/08910600050216246-1.
- Fanaro, S; Chierici, R; Guerrini, P; Vigi, V (2003). "Intestinal microflora in early infancy: Composition and development". Acta Paediatrica. 91 (441): 48–55. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2003.tb00646.x. PMID 14599042.
- Sinkiewicz, Gabriela; Ljunggren, Lennart (2008). "Occurrence ofLactobacillus reuteriin human breast milk". Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. 20 (3): 122–126. doi:10.1080/08910600802341007.
- Talarico, TL; Casas, IA; Chung, TC; Dobrogosz, WJ (1988). "Production and isolation of reuterin, a growth inhibitor produced by Lactobacillus reuteri". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 32 (12): 1854–8. doi:10.1128/aac.32.12.1854. PMC 176032. PMID 3245697.
- "Biogaia Probiotics - BioGaia's history". www.biogaia.com. Retrieved 2018-02-22.