Symprove Ltd
Formerly | Multigerm |
|---|---|
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded 📆 | 1980s (as Multigerm) |
| Founder 👔 | Barry Smith |
Area served 🗺️ | |
| Products 📟 | Symprove (liquid probiotic food supplement) |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | https://www.symprove.com |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Symprove is a UK-manufactured liquid food supplement containing four strains of lactic acid bacteria suspended in a water-based solution..[1] It is marketed to consumers in the UK and internationally as a live and active bacteria food supplement.[2] [3] It is marketed to consumers in the UK and internationally as a live and active bacteria food supplement.[4]
Background
Symprove Ltd originated from Multigerm, a company founded in the 1980s by farmer and former paramedic Barry Smith. The original product was a barley-based feed for livestock, later adapted for human use. The Symprove brand was launched in 2010.[5]
The first human trial on Symprove was published in 2014[6], at a time when consumer awareness of the gut microbiome was limited. Interest in the gut microbiome has since grown significantly, with probiotics now representing a large and expanding segment of the global functional food market.[7]
Product composition and design
Symprove contains four bacterial strains:[1]
- Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (NCIMB 30174)
- Enterococcus lactis (NCIMB 30176)
- Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCIMB 30175)
- Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (NCIMB 30173)
The patented Symprove precision fermentation process produces metabolically active bacteria already adapted to a low pH environment. During the active growth phase, the bacteria up-regulate their acid stress response mechanisms and adapt the cell membranes to be tolerant of high acidity, supporting the live bacteria during stomach transit.[8]
A European patent describes the preparation of these strains in a germinated barley extract medium.[9] In-vitro work at University College London has reported survival of the bacteria under simulated gastric conditions and colonisation potential in laboratory models.[10]
Safety and regulatory status
In the European Union and the United Kingdom, probiotics are regulated as food supplements. No probiotic, including Symprove, has an authorised health claim under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.[11]
All of the Symprove bacteria have been fully characterised and tested to confirm compliance with EFSA standards.[12]
Clinical studies
Several peer-reviewed studies have examined Symprove in gastrointestinal disorders:
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): A 2014 randomised controlled trial in patients with IBS, published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, reported a statistically significant reduction in IBS symptom severity scores compared with placebo.[13]
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A 2019 randomised controlled trial in patients with asymptomatic IBD, published in Inflammopharmacology, reported no significant differences in quality of life between the probiotic and placebo group. Compared with placebo, faecal calprotectin was significantly reduced in ulcerative colitis (but not in Crohn’s disease) compared with placebo.[14]
- IBS in IBD: A 2025 randomised controlled trial in patients with IBD in remission with IBS, published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology and Therapeutics, reported trends towards greater symptom improvement in the probiotic group versus placebo. The study also observed trends towards lower IBD activity, though differences did not reach statistical significance.[15]
- Diverticular disease: A 2017 randomised controlled trial in patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, published in Inflammopharmacology, reported no significant differences in abdominal pain between the probiotic and placebo group. Compared with placebo, the probiotic significantly decreased the frequency of four of the eight secondary endpoints (constipation, diarrhoea, mucorrhea, and back pain).[16]
- Parkinson’s disease: A 2025 randomised controlled trial in patients with Parkinson’s disease, published in Movement Disorders, reported enrichments of bacteria with health-related properties (Odoribacteraceae, Enterococcaceae, Blautia faecicola) in the probiotic group compared with placebo. Pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α plasma levels decreased in the probiotic group and increased in the placebo group. No changes in SCFAs levels were observed. Reductions in time-to-on and motor and non-motor symptom scale scores were observed in the probiotic group only.[17]
- Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME): Use of the validated SHIME – an in-vitro gut simulator model that mimics gastric, small-intestinal and colonic conditions[18] - has been used to explore potential mechanisms of Symprove. Published data has reported immunomodulatory effects including increases in short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), increases in anti-inflammatory cytokines and decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines in healthy donors.[1]. Further data in SHIME reported similar results in donors with ulcerative colitis [19] and Parkinson’s disease.[20]
Emerging research
Preliminary findings have also been reported in other health conditions. Abstracts presented at national and international conferences describe Symprove in multiple sclerosis, where a feasibility study indicated acceptability and possible benefits on cognitive function.[21]
Further clinical studies are underway in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (long COVID)[22] and menopause symptoms 20.[23]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Moens, F; Van den Abbeele, P; Basit, A W; Dodoo, C; Chatterjee, R; Smith, B; Gaisford, S (30 January 2019). "A four-strain probiotic exerts positive immunomodulatory effects by enhancing colonic butyrate production in vitro". International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 555: 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.11.020. PMID 30445175.
- ↑ Loth, S (27 October 2025). "Best probiotic supplements 2025: reviewed by nutrition experts". which.co.uk. Which?. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "About Symprove". Symprove Professionals. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ Loth, S (27 October 2025). "Best probiotic supplements 2025: reviewed by nutrition experts". Which?. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "Gut health supplement maker Symprove plots £250m sale". Sky News. 22 May 2024.
- ↑ Sisson, G (2014). "A liquid multi-strain probiotic vs. placebo in IBS". Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 40 (1): 51–62. doi:10.1111/apt.12787. PMID 24815298.
- ↑ Day RL, Harper AJ, Woods RM, Davies OG, Heaney LM. Probiotics: current landscape and future horizons. Future Sci OA. 2019 May 3;5(4):FSO391. doi:10.4155/fsoa-2019-0004. PMID:31114711; PMCID:PMC6511921.
- ↑ "Probiotic preparations and uses thereof (EP 3329927 B1)" (PDF). European Patent Office. 27 September 2023.
- ↑ "Probiotic preparations and uses thereof (EP 3329927 B1)" (PDF). European Patent Office. 27 September 2023.
- ↑ Fredua-Agyeman, M (2015). "Comparative survival of commercial probiotic formulations". Beneficial Microbes. 6 (1): 141–151. doi:10.3920/BM2014.0051. PMID 25351484.
- ↑ "Food: Probiotic claims". Advertising Standards Authority. 15 August 2024.
- ↑ Efsa Panel On Food Contact Materials, Enzymes Processing Aids (CEP); Lambré, C.; Barat Baviera, J. M.; Bolognesi, C.; Chesson, A.; Cocconcelli, P. S.; Crebelli, R.; Gott, D. M.; Grob, K.; Mengelers, M.; Mortensen, A.; Rivière, G.; Steffensen, I. L.; Tlustos, C.; Van Loveren, H.; Vernis, L.; Zorn, H.; Dudler, V.; Milana, M. R.; Papaspyrides, C.; Tavares Poças, M. F.; Tsochatzis, E.; Lampi, E. (2023). "Update of the list of QPS-recommended biological agents". EFSA Journal. 21 (12): e08136. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8136. PMC 10410500 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 37564189 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Sisson, G (2014). "A liquid multi-strain probiotic vs. placebo in IBS". Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 40 (1): 51–62. doi:10.1111/apt.12787. PMID 24815298.
- ↑ Bjarnason, I (2019). "A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a multi-strain probiotic in patients with asymptomatic ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease". Inflammopharmacology. 27 (3): 465–473. doi:10.1007/s10787-018-0528-7 (inactive 18 November 2025). PMID 30456413.
- ↑ Fennessy, A (2025). "Four-strain probiotic exerts a positive effect on irritable bowel syndrome symptoms occurring in inflammatory bowel diseases in absence of inflammation (train-IBD trial)". World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 16 (5): 239–248. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v16.i2.101268. PMC 12188889 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 40575360 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Kvasnovsky, C L; Bjarnason, I; Donaldson, A N; Sherwood, R A; Papagrigoriadis, S (2017). "A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a multi-strain probiotic in treatment of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease". Inflammopharmacology. 25 (5): 499–509. doi:10.1007/s10787-017-0363-y. PMID 28528364.
- ↑ Leta, V (2025). "Effects of a Four-Strain Probiotic on Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial". Mov Disord. doi:10.1002/mds.70047. PMID 41126787 Check
|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ Van de Wiele, T (2015). "The Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®)". The Impact of Food Bioactives on Health. Springer, Cham. pp. 305–317. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-16104-4_27. ISBN 978-3-319-15791-7. PMID 29787058. Search this book on
- ↑ Ghyselinck, J; Verstrepen, L; Moens, F; Van den Abbeele, P; Said, J; Smith, B; Bjarnason, I; Basit, A W; Gaisford, S (25 September 2020). "A 4-strain probiotic supplement influences gut microbiota composition and gut wall function in patients with ulcerative colitis". International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 587. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119648. PMID 32679260 Check
|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ Ghyselinck, J; Verstrepen, L; Moens, F; Van Den Abbeele, P; Bruggeman, A; Said, J; Smith, B; Barker, L A; Jordan, C; Leta, V; Chaudhuri, K R; Basit, A W; Gaisford, S (2 July 2021). "Influence of probiotic bacteria on gut microbiota composition and gut wall function in an in-vitro model in patients with Parkinson's disease". International Journal of Pharmaceutics: X. 3. doi:10.1016/j.ijpx.2021.100087. PMC 8683682 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 34977556 Check|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ Carter, A; Kudiersky, N; Barker, L; Dalton, C; Gill, S; Sharrack, B; Nair, S; Sue, S. "Feasibility, acceptability and safety of a 12-week probiotic intervention for people with Multiple Sclerosis: A mixedmethods single-arm trial" (PDF). mstrust.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ↑ "Probiotics for Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome". ClinicalTrials.gov. U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2 August 2023. NCT05975034. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
- ↑ "Probiotics for Menopause Symptoms". ISRCTN Registry. ISRCTN56831337. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
Category:Probiotics Category:Dietary supplements
This article "Symprove Ltd" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Symprove Ltd. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
