A laboratory study has shown that the multi-strain liquid probiotic Symprove can inhibit several harmful bacteria commonly associated with gastrointestinal infections.
Infectious diarrhoea remains a major global health problem and is frequently caused by bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As antimicrobial resistance continues to rise, there is increasing interest in non-antibiotic approaches that may help support gut health.
Published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, researchers at University College London investigated whether Symprove could inhibit the growth of these clinically important pathogens using isothermal calorimetry, a technique that allows bacterial growth to be monitored continuously.
Although the harmful bacteria initially grew faster than the probiotic bacteria, Symprove substantially reduced their numbers after 48 hours. No viable E. coli remained, MRSA was reduced by approximately 8-log (100 million×) to below clinically infectious levels, and Shigella sonnei was reduced by 4-log (10,000×).
How does it work? The researchers suggest that several mechanisms may contribute to these effects, including competition for nutrients, production of antimicrobial compounds and changes in the surrounding environment that make it less favourable for pathogen growth.
Importantly, because probiotics do not work in the same way as antibiotics, they are unlikely to drive antimicrobial resistance, making them an attractive area for future research.
The authors conclude that Symprove shows promising anti-pathogenic activity in the laboratory. However, further studies are needed to determine whether these findings translate into clinical benefit in people.
The full paper is available in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (Dodoo CC, et al. Int J Pharm. 2019;556:136–141).
About Symprove:
Symprove is the UK's No.1 live and active bacteria supplement*.
Founded in 1986, Symprove has spent decades investing in independent scientific research to help build a better understanding of the gut microbiome and the role it plays in overall health.
Unlike many supplements, Symprove's unique water-based formula is designed to deliver live and active bacteria to the gut, where they can have the greatest impact. It contains four strains of live and active bacteria, is suitable for everyday use and is free from dairy, gluten and artificial additives.
Today, Symprove is available on subscription from symprove.com and at leading UK retailers including Tesco, Boots, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Superdrug, and Holland & Barrett.
For more information, visit www.symprove.com.
For samples or more information, please get in touch with press@symprove.com or call 01252 413 600.
* Source Euromonitor International Ltd; Consumer Health 2026ed., Symprove retail value sales, UK 2025 data
