A Word With – Shaheen Majeed – CEO & Managing Director, Sabinsa

Gut health involves several interconnected mechanisms, from digestion and microbial fermentation to intestinal-barrier function. How does Sabinsa address these different aspects, and why is a multi-mechanistic approach increasingly relevant compared with traditional single-ingredient strategies?

The gut is an ecosystem, not a single target. Digestive comfort depends on how efficiently food is broken down, how the microbial community ferments what reaches the colon, and whether the intestinal barrier remains intact. When symptoms arise, the cause rarely lies in just one of those places, so a single-ingredient strategy may help in part while leaving the rest of the system unaddressed. As consumers become more informed about their own digestion, they increasingly expect products built around that complexity.

That is why we developed our portfolio in layers: enzymes such as DigeZyme® for initial for digestion; the spore-forming probiotic LactoSpore® and compatible prebiotic fibers for microbial balance; and heat-inactivated ingredients, including PoZibio® and ImmunoSpore®, for barrier and immune support. The goal is not to put everything into every formula, but to let formulators select the mechanisms that fit the consumer they serve and combine them with a clear rationale for each.

LactoSpore® has been investigated in human studies for its effects on digestive symptoms. What distinguishes this probiotic strain, and what does the clinical evidence tell us about its potential applications in digestive-health supplements?

The strain Heyndrickxia coagulans (formerly Bacillus coagulans) MTCC 5856 is distinguished by its spore-forming ability. It withstands gastric acid, remains stable at room temperature, and germinates in the intestine, addressing two persistent challenges in probiotic formulation: maintaining viability throughout the shelf life and surviving passage through the stomach. It is also one of the most extensively studied spore-forming strains, with a safety and clinical record built over decades.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 70 adults with functional bloating, 2 billion spores daily for four weeks reduced gas and bloating scores from 8.91 to 3.06 in the LactoSpore® group, with no significant change in the placebo group (1). An earlier 90-day pilot in diarrhea-predominant IBS reported improvements in bloating, abdominal pain, and stool frequency versus placebo (2). Larger, multi-site trials would strengthen the evidence, but the consistency of these findings supports the strain’s use in formulas for digestive comfort.

How does DigeZyme® contribute to digestive-health formulations, and what evidence supports its use in addressing symptoms associated with functional dyspepsia?

DigeZyme® combines alpha-amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, and lactase. It covers the main macronutrient classes, including plant fibers and lactose, which many people digest poorly. Its low effective dose lets it fit easily into multi-ingredient capsules, powders, and chewables without dominating the formula.

In a 60-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 40 adults with functional dyspepsia, 50 mg of DigeZyme ® daily significantly improved post-meal fullness, early satiety, bloating, belching, and epigastric discomfort compared with placebo and was well tolerated (3). Functional dyspepsia is among the most common reasons people seek digestive support, and enzymes offer a practical, mechanism-based way to support comfortable digestion after meals.

LactoCran® and LactoWise® combine LactoSpore® with complementary plant-derived fibres. What is the scientific rationale behind these combinations, and how can they contribute to the development of innovative gut-health supplements?

Many synbiotics pair a probiotic with a generic prebiotic fiber. We instead screened plant-derived fibers to assess how our strain responds.

In LactoWise®, LactoSpore® is paired with a soluble fenugreek seed fiber that, in laboratory studies, increased growth rate by approximately 50% and spore formation threefold compared with glucose. LactoCran® uses cranberry seed fiber, patented to increase the strain’s viable count (4).

Both remain stable at room temperature, enabling formats where live cultures usually struggle. The strongest data so far are in vitro, and human studies of the combinations are the logical next step. I expect strain-matched prebiotics to become the benchmark the category is held to, much as strain identity has become the standard for probiotics.

Sabinsa’s portfolio also includes heat-inactivated microbial ingredients, such as ImmunoSpore® and PoZibio®. What are the main advantages of postbiotic approaches compared with live probiotics, and what opportunities do they offer for gut-health product development?

Postbiotics withstand heat, pressure, and moisture, require no cold chain, and deliver the same dose at the end of shelf life as at manufacture. This enables use in beverages, bakery, gummies, and hot drinks, categories where live probiotics are difficult to deliver reliably. The 2021 ISAPP consensus definition also provided the field with a scientific framework that formulators and regulators can work from (5).

Mechanistically, cell-wall components such as lipoteichoic acid continue to signal to the host even after inactivation. In preclinical models, lipoteichoic acid from heat-inactivated Lactobacillus paracasei D3.5 in PoZibio® reduced age-related gut leakiness and inflammation (6). An open-label pilot in adults over 50 reported improved GI symptom scores and emotional well-being over 30 days (7), and placebo-controlled trials, including one measuring gut mucin and intestinal permeability, are now underway (8). ImmunoSpore® builds on the clinical record of the LactoSpore® strain and has been evaluated in a randomized, placebo-controlled safety study (9).

The postbiotic evidence base is younger than that for probiotics, and I see these ingredients as complements to live cultures, not replacements.

Gut health is increasingly connected to broader areas of wellbeing, from immune function to metabolic health and healthy ageing. How does this convergence influence Sabinsa’s long-term innovation strategy and priorities?

This convergence confirms what Ayurveda has long held: digestion sits at the center of health. What has changed is our ability to measure barrier integrity, low-grade inflammation, and gut-brain signaling. Many age-related changes appear to surface in the gut first.

That sets three priorities for us: mechanism-defined ingredients across prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics; human trials with functional endpoints relevant to aging populations; and deeper work on how botanicals and the microbiome interact, since many plant compounds are metabolized by gut bacteria before they exert any effect. In markets such as the EU, where claims require a high evidentiary bar, that commitment to clinical work will separate durable innovation from trend.

References and notes

1. Majeed M, et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023;102(9):e33109. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000033109
2. Majeed M, et al. Nutr J. 2016;15:21. doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0140-6
3. Majeed M, et al. J Med Food. 2018. doi:10.1089/jmf.2017.4172
4. US Patent 9,717,766
5. Salminen S, et al. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;18:649–667. doi:10.1038/s41575-021-00440-6
6. Wang S, et al. GeroScience. 2020;42:333–352. doi:10.1007/s11357-019-00137-4
7. Innovation in Aging. 2024 (GSA abstract, heat-inactivated LpD3.5 in older adults)
8. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07017959
9. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety study of heat-inactivated H. coagulans MTCC 5856 (SSRN preprint)