Did you know?
Despite being inanimate, postbiotics can influence mental health by crossing the blood-brain barrier, modulating neurotransmitters, and reducing inflammation, which can impact mood and behavior.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced by probiotic bacteria during fermentation, offering health benefits without containing live microorganisms.
Research feed Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
Overview 
Research Feed 
References Overview
Recently, postbiotics were defined as ‘preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer a health benefit on the host.’ [1] Postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced during the fermentation of food substrates by probiotic microorganisms. Unlike probiotics, which involve the administration of live beneficial bacteria, postbiotics are non-viable bacterial products or metabolic by-products that can confer health benefits to the host.
Types of Postbiotics
These include diverse substances such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacterial cell wall components, extracellular polysaccharides, functional proteins and peptides, vitamins, and other organic acids. SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, play critical roles in gut health by providing energy to colonocytes, modulating immune responses, and maintaining gut barrier integrity. Bacterial cell wall components like peptidoglycans and lipoteichoic acids can interact with the host’s immune system to promote anti-inflammatory responses. Extracellular polysaccharides are known for their potential immunomodulatory effects, while functional proteins and peptides, including enzymes and bacteriocins, can inhibit pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, vitamins and other organic acids synthesized by gut bacteria contribute to various metabolic processes and overall health.
Mechanisms of Action
Postbiotics exert their beneficial effects through multiple mechanisms, including immune modulation, enhancement of gut barrier function, antimicrobial effects, and metabolic regulation. [2] By interacting with gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), postbiotics can enhance the host’s immune responses, promoting anti-inflammatory pathways and helping to maintain immune homeostasis. Postbiotics like SCFAs strengthen the gut barrier by enhancing the tight junctions between epithelial cells, reducing the risk of “leaky gut” syndrome. Certain postbiotics have antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, thus contributing to a balanced gut microbiome. By influencing various metabolic pathways, postbiotics can also play a role in managing metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.
Application of Postbiotics
The application of postbiotics in clinical settings is being extensively researched for various therapeutic benefits. [3] By promoting a balanced microbiome and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, postbiotics offer a novel strategy for preventing and treating infections. [4] Postbiotics are being explored for their role in treating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by modulating gut microbiota and reducing inflammation. The role of postbiotics in managing obesity and type 2 diabetes is being investigated, particularly their ability to improve insulin sensitivity and modulate lipid metabolism. [5][6] Additionally, postbiotics’ ability to modulate the immune system opens potential therapeutic avenues for autoimmune diseases and enhances the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies.
Postbiotics vs Traditional Probiotics
Postbiotics present several advantages over traditional probiotics. They are more stable than live probiotics, which are susceptible to changes in temperature, pH, and storage conditions. Postbiotics also eliminate the risk of translocation and infection associated with live microorganisms, making them safer for immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, postbiotics’ effects are more predictable than live probiotics, which may vary in their activity and colonization potential in different individuals.
Future of Postbiotics
Future research on postbiotics aims to identify specific bioactive compounds with health benefits, elucidate the mechanisms through which postbiotics exert their effects, conduct robust clinical trials to establish efficacy and safety and develop personalized postbiotic interventions based on individual microbiome profiles and health needs. Postbiotics, as a component of microbiome-targeted interventions, represent a promising area of research and therapeutic potential. Their stability, safety, and targeted action make them a valuable addition to strategies to modulate the microbiome for health benefits. Continued research and innovation in this field are essential to harness the potential of postbiotics in precision medicine fully. As we deepen our understanding of the microbiome and its interactions with the host, postbiotics will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the future of medical practice and the development of new treatments for a wide array of diseases.
Research Feed
Postbiotics
Overview
Recently, postbiotics were defined as ‘preparations of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer a health benefit on the host.’ [7] Postbiotics are bioactive compounds produced during the fermentation of food substrates by probiotic microorganisms. Unlike probiotics, which involve the administration of live beneficial bacteria, postbiotics are non-viable bacterial products or metabolic by-products that can confer health benefits to the host.
Types of Postbiotics
These include diverse substances such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacterial cell wall components, extracellular polysaccharides, functional proteins and peptides, vitamins, and other organic acids. SCFAs, such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, play critical roles in gut health by providing energy to colonocytes, modulating immune responses, and maintaining gut barrier integrity. Bacterial cell wall components like peptidoglycans and lipoteichoic acids can interact with the host’s immune system to promote anti-inflammatory responses. Extracellular polysaccharides are known for their potential immunomodulatory effects, while functional proteins and peptides, including enzymes and bacteriocins, can inhibit pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, vitamins and other organic acids synthesized by gut bacteria contribute to various metabolic processes and overall health.
Mechanisms of Action
Postbiotics exert their beneficial effects through multiple mechanisms, including immune modulation, enhancement of gut barrier function, antimicrobial effects, and metabolic regulation. [8] By interacting with gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), postbiotics can enhance the host's immune responses, promoting anti-inflammatory pathways and helping to maintain immune homeostasis. Postbiotics like SCFAs strengthen the gut barrier by enhancing the tight junctions between epithelial cells, reducing the risk of "leaky gut" syndrome. Certain postbiotics have antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, thus contributing to a balanced gut microbiome. By influencing various metabolic pathways, postbiotics can also play a role in managing metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.
Application of Postbiotics
The application of postbiotics in clinical settings is being extensively researched for various therapeutic benefits. [9] By promoting a balanced microbiome and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, postbiotics offer a novel strategy for preventing and treating infections. [10] Postbiotics are being explored for their role in treating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by modulating gut microbiota and reducing inflammation. The role of postbiotics in managing obesity and type 2 diabetes is being investigated, particularly their ability to improve insulin sensitivity and modulate lipid metabolism. [11][12] Additionally, postbiotics' ability to modulate the immune system opens potential therapeutic avenues for autoimmune diseases and enhances the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies.
Postbiotics vs Traditional Probiotics
Postbiotics present several advantages over traditional probiotics. They are more stable than live probiotics, which are susceptible to changes in temperature, pH, and storage conditions. Postbiotics also eliminate the risk of translocation and infection associated with live microorganisms, making them safer for immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, postbiotics' effects are more predictable than live probiotics, which may vary in their activity and colonization potential in different individuals.
Future of Postbiotics
Future research on postbiotics aims to identify specific bioactive compounds with health benefits, elucidate the mechanisms through which postbiotics exert their effects, conduct robust clinical trials to establish efficacy and safety and develop personalized postbiotic interventions based on individual microbiome profiles and health needs. Postbiotics, as a component of microbiome-targeted interventions, represent a promising area of research and therapeutic potential. Their stability, safety, and targeted action make them a valuable addition to strategies to modulate the microbiome for health benefits. Continued research and innovation in this field are essential to harness the potential of postbiotics in precision medicine fully. As we deepen our understanding of the microbiome and its interactions with the host, postbiotics will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the future of medical practice and the development of new treatments for a wide array of diseases.
[research-feed]References
- The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics.. Salminen, S., Collado, M.C., Endo, A. et al.. (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol ( May 4, 2021))
- Postbiotics in Human Health: A Narrative Review.. Ma L, Tu H, Chen T.. (Nutrients. (January 6, 2023))
- Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in health and disease.. Ji J, Jin W, Liu SJ, Jiao Z, Li X.. (https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.420)
- Postbiotics as potential new therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders management.. Bourebaba Y, Marycz K, Mularczyk M, Bourebaba L.. (Biomed Pharmacother. (September 2022))
- Lipolytic Postbiotic from Lactobacillus paracasei manages metabolic syndrome in albino Wistar rats.. Osman, A., El-Gazzar, N., Almanaa, T. N., El-Hadary, A., and Sitohy, M.. (Molecules. (2021))
- Lipoteichoic acid from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BPL1: a novel postbiotic that reduces fat deposition via IGF-1 pathway.. Balaguer, F., Enrique, M., Llopis, S., Barrena, M., Navarro, V., Álvarez, B., et al.. (Microb. Biotechnol. (2022))
- The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics.. Salminen, S., Collado, M.C., Endo, A. et al.. (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol ( May 4, 2021))
- Postbiotics in Human Health: A Narrative Review.. Ma L, Tu H, Chen T.. (Nutrients. (January 6, 2023))
- Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in health and disease.. Ji J, Jin W, Liu SJ, Jiao Z, Li X.. (https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.420)
- Postbiotics as potential new therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders management.. Bourebaba Y, Marycz K, Mularczyk M, Bourebaba L.. (Biomed Pharmacother. (September 2022))
- Lipolytic Postbiotic from Lactobacillus paracasei manages metabolic syndrome in albino Wistar rats.. Osman, A., El-Gazzar, N., Almanaa, T. N., El-Hadary, A., and Sitohy, M.. (Molecules. (2021))
- Lipoteichoic acid from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BPL1: a novel postbiotic that reduces fat deposition via IGF-1 pathway.. Balaguer, F., Enrique, M., Llopis, S., Barrena, M., Navarro, V., Álvarez, B., et al.. (Microb. Biotechnol. (2022))
Salminen, S., Collado, M.C., Endo, A. et al.
The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol ( May 4, 2021)
Ji J, Jin W, Liu SJ, Jiao Z, Li X.
Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in health and disease.https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.420
Bourebaba Y, Marycz K, Mularczyk M, Bourebaba L.
Postbiotics as potential new therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders management.Biomed Pharmacother. (September 2022)
Osman, A., El-Gazzar, N., Almanaa, T. N., El-Hadary, A., and Sitohy, M.
Lipolytic Postbiotic from Lactobacillus paracasei manages metabolic syndrome in albino Wistar rats.Molecules. (2021)
Balaguer, F., Enrique, M., Llopis, S., Barrena, M., Navarro, V., Álvarez, B., et al.
Lipoteichoic acid from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BPL1: a novel postbiotic that reduces fat deposition via IGF-1 pathway.Microb. Biotechnol. (2022)
Salminen, S., Collado, M.C., Endo, A. et al.
The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol ( May 4, 2021)
Ji J, Jin W, Liu SJ, Jiao Z, Li X.
Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics in health and disease.https://doi.org/10.1002/mco2.420
Bourebaba Y, Marycz K, Mularczyk M, Bourebaba L.
Postbiotics as potential new therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders management.Biomed Pharmacother. (September 2022)
Osman, A., El-Gazzar, N., Almanaa, T. N., El-Hadary, A., and Sitohy, M.
Lipolytic Postbiotic from Lactobacillus paracasei manages metabolic syndrome in albino Wistar rats.Molecules. (2021)
Balaguer, F., Enrique, M., Llopis, S., Barrena, M., Navarro, V., Álvarez, B., et al.
Lipoteichoic acid from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BPL1: a novel postbiotic that reduces fat deposition via IGF-1 pathway.Microb. Biotechnol. (2022)