A laboratory study has investigated whether the multi-strain liquid probiotic Symprove could inhibit growth of harmful gut bacteria.
Published in International Journal of Pharmaceutics, the study was carried out by an international group of researchers, led by Prof Simon Gaisford at University College London.
With growing concern over antimicrobial resistance, use of probiotics could be an attractive option to tackle gut pathogens, particularly as it’s challenging for bacteria to acquire resistance against them and they are known to have a strong safety profile.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Symprove against three clinically-relevant microorganisms that are becoming increasingly difficult to treat with antimicrobials; Clostridium perfringens, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Listeria monocytogenes. Of these, Klebsiella pneumoniae is of particular concern as it is listed on the 2024 WHO bacterial priority pathogens list.
Using their laboratory model, researchers demonstrated that Symprove inhibited the growth of all three harmful bacteria tested. After 48 hours, reduced the number of live harmful bacteria by 99.9% and C. perfringens and K. pneumoniae bacteria numbers were reduced to zero.
These findings are also consistent with other laboratory studies exploring the effect of Symprove against gut pathogens, including E. Coli, Clostridium Difficile, MRSA and Shigella species.
The authors conclude that Symprove has the potential to support the management of gut infections caused by these pathogens, but more research is needed.
The full published paper is available in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics (Hatton GB, et al. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2026;693:126669).
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
