ABSTRACT

Background: Lactic acid bacillus spores (Bacillus coagulans) has excellent stability and shows therapeutic effects on intestinal diseases, such as acute diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, antibiotic-related diarrhoea, constipation and colitis. Spores of Lactic acid bacillus resist gastric acid to reach the small intestine, where they can germinate and propagate. There is an existing misconception that antibiotics degrade the probiotics when given in conjunction.

Aim: To study the survival, germination and proliferation of Lactic acid bacillus spores in presence of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate antibiotic.

Method: ‘Augpen LB® -625’ tablet (FDC tablet of Amoxicillin 500 mg, Potassium Clavulanate 125 mg with Lactic acid bacillus 60 million spores) is dissolved in 0.1N HCl and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer. It was diluted and incubated in MRS broth and mixed with PNY agar media, followed by solidification and repeated incubation. The resulted number of colonies in each plate was counted.

Results: It was observed that 60 million spores of lactic acid bacillus present in the ‘Augpen LB® -625’ tablet produced 7.3 billion CFU at 24 hours and 51 billion CFU at 72 hours under suitable conditions mimicking human intestinal pH, which helps in intestinal colonization with the probiotics.

Conclusion: This study provides the evidence for survivability of the probiotic Lactic acid bacillus in acidic pH and its germination in presence of Amoxicillin and Clavulanate.