Monday, July 13, 2015

MegaSporeBiotic & the Safety of Bacillus Licheniformis

MegaSporeBiotic is comprised of five verified and tested bacillus strains: bacillus indicus, bacillus subtilis, bacillus clausii, bacillus coagulans, and bacillus licheniformis. To date, some of the most researched and widely used true probiotic strains are from the bacillus species. By utilizing a strong foundation of research and supervision from the pioneering experts in the field of bacteriotherapy, each strain carried heavy consideration prior to inclusion of MegaSporeBiotic’s formula.

The formulation of MegaSporeBiotic has a deliberate ratio for a combined colony-forming unit (CFU) of 4 Billion. With particular attention to Bacillus licheniformis, it is important to note that of all five strains B. licheniformis carries the smallest concentration of bacterial cells - nearly 50 million CFU. With that said, the presence of B. licheniformis in MegaSporeBiotic’s formula is deliberate and thoughtfully measured.


Bacillus Licheniformis as an Organism in Nature

Bacillus licheniformis is a ubiquitous organism exposed and consumed by humans for millions of years. As one the most widely used organisms in the industry, it produces a number of important compounds. One compound, produced both in vitro and in vivo, individuals are most familiar with is the antibiotic bacitracin. B. licheniformis produces this antibiotic in the presence of pathogens and is effective against pathogens like vibrio. It is important to note that bacitracin is a thermostable antibiotic that is resistant to enzymatic degradation, making it extremely effective in the gut. This in vivo antibiotic also helps the function of the main bacillus subtilis antibiotic called subtilisin. Additionally, b. licheniformis produces a stable protease enzyme vital for digesting and assimilating proteins in the body.

B. licheniformis performs several important functions in the gut alongside the other bacillus strains. In the natural environment, bacillus licheniformis is almost always found in consortium with b. subtilis, b. coagulans, etc. and have evolved to work as a partnership. Our ancestors consumed a significant amount of b. Licheniformis together with b. subtilis, b. coagulans, b. clausii and likely b. indicus as well. Exposure to these species over millions of years has become a critical function of our digestive and immune systems. For this reason, MegaSporeBiotic is designed based on both clinical data and the natural environment. The formulation mocks the natural consortium of these species found in nature.


Consumption & Safety of Bacillus Licheniformis as a Probiotic

MegaSporeBiotic has been carefully designed jointly by microbiologists, doctors, and researchers utilizing a significant amount of precaution and safety with regards to the strains/species used. The formulation of MegaSporeBiotic utilized the highest standards of scientific rationale to determine which species to include or exclude. When defining the safety of a particular species for use as a probiotic, conclusions are based on in vivo, controlled safety trials where all variables have been documented. This is true for establishing safety and efficacy. Determination of safety cannot be scientifically made on or by including a small number of non-controlled case studies, especially in cases where variables are unaccounted for.

Each reported research study must be carefully evaluated and examined to determine if the species of concern is the true causative agent. If so, the outlying factors must be identified. Fortunately, numerous researchers have reviewed cases resulting in adverse events with the use of b. licheniformis. After reviewing these published studies it was determined that in none of the cases was b. licheniformis the causative agent. Additionally, all cases were reported having included individuals who were severely immunocompromised or with trauma. Bacillus licheniformis was never determined to be the actual cause of infection, rather only documented as associated as this species is not naturally infective.

With regards to cases associated with cattle or feed products, they cannot be translated to human use. Strains used in feed are exclusively different from the human strain. The reason for the difference is because cattle farms are the breeding ground for mutated, resistant, infectious bacteria. The probiotic strains get mixed with pathogenic strains of E. coli, listeria, salmonella, etc. that are found highly prevalent in these farms where antibiotics are heavily used. Due to the high antibiotic use, pathogens develop resistance and higher virulence.  In turn, these traits can be passed on to the probiotic strains used. This is notably different than the human nutritional environment. 

The most comprehensive safety review on bacillus licheniformis was performed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It was concluded that, 


B. licheniformis is not a human pathogen nor is it toxigenic. It is unlikely to be confused with related species that are. However, if challenged by large numbers of this microorganism, compromised individuals or those suffering from trauma may be infected[1].”


In response to cases with adverse events, the EPA and other researchers have reviewed each case of reported illness and have come to the conclusion that b. licheniformis could not be determined to be the causative agent, in the case or simply present in the patient, because the strain is widely found in the natural environment. Furthermore, Nithya et al., with the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, performed a controlled, in vivo safety and toxicological study with b. licheniformis and found it, "safe for food industry applications." 

Bacillus licheniformis is a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) organism in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard for safety and toxicity of bacterial strains and has Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) designation in the European Union (EU).  To date, there is not a single case report where b. licheniformis was determined to be the primary causative agent in an infection and all case reports of adverse events are in subjects that are severely immunocompromised and/or had significant trauma. 


Sincerely,


The Research Team & Staff at MegaSporeBiotic™

The philosophy behind MegaSporeBiotic includes scientific evidence, research support, and safety with regards to human consumption. It is our objective to provide the highest quality pharmaceutical probiotic product, while making published research accessible for educated decisions on bacteriotherapy.

Questions? Email us @ info@gomegaspore.com




[1] United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1997, February). Bacillus Licheniformis Final Risk Assessment. (2015, July). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/biotech_rule/pubs/fra/fra005.htm

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