The newly licensed, patent-pending probiotic is Bifidobacterium adolescentis IVS-1, isolated via a novel prebiotic enrichment strategy known as In Vivo Selection (hence the IVS). The synbiotic was formulated by researchers at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
It is being commercialized by NUTech Ventures, an intellectual property and commercialization unit of the university with a mission to facilitate the commercial and practical use of innovations generated through the university’s research activities.
The synbiotic is a combination of the Bifidobacterium adolescentis IVS-1 with a galactooligosaccharide prebiotic.
“Most, if not all, of the synbiotics on the market have not been rationally formulated based on ecological criteria. They have been combined based on cost, marketing, or limited or no scientific studies showing evidence for synergistic or additive effects,” said Albert Dahbour, executive vice president at Viva 5 Corporation.
“In a true synbiotic, the prebiotic should have high affinity for the probiotic, it should selectively support growth of the probiotic in the human intestinal tract and, ultimately, show a health benefit to the host. Thus, Viva 5 now has in our opinion the first real synbiotic and we are looking to further invest in additional research.”
Viva 5 Corporation’s newly licensed synbiotic will be available in capsule, tablet, stick pack, and powder delivery forms and can be utilized as a stand-alone product or combined with other compatible ingredients.