Experimental support for the effects of a probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement on serum cholesterol concentrations and the intestinal microbiome

Abstract

Background: Elevated levels of blood cholesterol are associated with cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current therapies for addressing elevated blood cholesterol can be inadequate, ineffective or associated with side effects; therefore, the search for additional therapies is ongoing. This study evaluated Daily Body Restore (DBR), a proprietary blend of 9 probiotic organisms of the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and 10 digestive enzymes, for its effects on cholesterol metabolism using an in vitro system and a mouse model.

Methods: We used a murine model of hypercholesterolemia induced by a high fat diet to evaluate the effects of DBR on blood cholesterol concentrations. Hypercholesterolemic mice were supplemented with DBR in their drinking water for 8 weeks and compared to control mice given low fat diets or unsupplemented high fat diets. To evaluate the effects of DBR on the activity of gut microbiota in vitro, the Shime(®) system consisting of sequential colon reactors was supplemented with DBR for analysis of short chain fatty acid production.

Results: Analysis of hypercholesterolemic mice after 4 and 8 weeks of DBR supplementation revealed significant decreases in blood concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) while triglyceride concentrations were unaltered. Specifically, after 4 weeks of DBR supplementation, there was a 47 % decrease in LDL and a 32 % increase in HDL in peripheral blood compared to unsupplemented, high fat diet-fed mice. After 8 weeks of DBR treatment, LDL concentrations were dramatically reduced by 78 % and HDL was increased by 52 % relative to control mice. Addition of DBR to the Shime(®) system led to significantly increased production of propionate in colon reactors, indicative of microbial production of short chain fatty acids known to inhibit cholesterol synthesis.

Conclusions: DBR, a probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement, lowered harmful LDL and increased HDL levels in a mouse model and also exerted in vitro effects consistent with cholesterol-lowering activity. Given the magnitude of the effects of DBR, these findings are promising for clinical implementation of DBR for treating hypercholesterolemia.

Keywords: Cholesterol; Digestive enzyme; Low-density lipoprotein; Probiotic.

Fig. 1

DBR supplementation reduces LDL cholesterol and increases hdl cholesterol in a mouse model of hypercholesterolemia. Three groups of mice were evaluated for cholesterol concentrations in serum obtained from peripheral blood (PB) or by cardiac puncture. The groups were as follows: (1) Control mice maintained on a low fat diet; (2) Control mice maintained on a high fat diet; and, (3) Experimental mice maintained on a high fat diet and supplemented with DBR in their drinking water. Analyses of LDL (a), HDL (b), triglycerides (c), and total cholesterol (d) were performed using serum taken at week 0, 4 and 8 of DBR or control treatments. * High fat diet vs. high fat diet + DBR is statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). ^ Low fat diet vs. high fat diet is statistically significant. ∨ Low fat diet vs. high fat diet + DBR is statistically significant

Fig. 2

Analysis of DBR in the Shime^® model. a Propionate production in the ascending and transverse colon in DBR-supplemented vessels (treatment weeks T1, T2 and T3) vs. control vessels (C1 and C2). b Total lactate concentrations (g/L) in DBR supplemented treatment vessels vs. controls. c, d Quantitative PCR results for the total copies/mL of lactobacilli (c) and bifidobacteria (d)