Shanghai Jiao Tong University Licenses Novel Lactiplantibacillus Strains for Constipation Relief to Mayinglong Health in 200,000 RMB Deal
Recently, Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced the conversion of its patent achievements, planning to“A Lactobacillus plantarum Strain for Relieving Constipation and Its Preparation Method”Transferred to Ma Yinglong Big Health Co., Ltd. in the form of an assignment, with a transaction amount of200,000 yuan. The core achievement of this patent is the isolation and screening of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain PD-14 and Levilactobacillus pentosus strain PD-16 from fermented tofu. Both strains possess genes for synthesizing pectate lyase, enabling them to modulate gut microbiota and degrade pectin to facilitate intestinal peristalsis, thereby effectively alleviating constipation. The inventors of this patent areWang Dapeng and his team。
Wang Dapeng:Doctoral Supervisor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Long-term commitment to research on foodborne virus contamination and prevention, functional food microorganisms and health, and efficient biosynthesis of novel foods. Developed a portable, automated, high-throughput detection system for foodborne viruses in complex matrices; elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between food matrices and foodborne virus capsid proteins; established a repository of functional microbial strains. Related work has received continuous funding from 17 national, local, and corporate projects, including the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key R&D Program. Published 60 papers as first or corresponding author in mainstream academic journals both domestically and internationally; granted 9 national invention patents (with 2 commercialized). Established stable scientific and technological cooperation platforms with the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Serbia, Portugal, and other countries, resulting in 35 jointly published papers.
Constipation is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, and one of its core pathogenic mechanisms lies inGut Microbiota Dysbiosis. Compared with healthy individuals, patients with constipation have a significantly reduced number of beneficial gut bacteria, leading to decreased intestinal motility. The key approach to improving constipation isSynchronously Regulate Gut Microbiota Structure and Intestinal Motility Function, which can be achieved through two pathways:First, supplementing the gut with beneficial bacteria to directly correct dysbiosis; second, consuming dietary fiber to provide nutritional substrates for beneficial bacteria while simultaneously aiding intestinal peristalsis.
andPectinAs a high-quality “prebiotic” for beneficial gut bacteria, it can directly correct dysbiosis. It not only aids intestinal peristalsis and adsorbs harmful bacteria and toxins in the gut, but its degradation also produces absorbent gel-like substances that further soften stools and facilitate their transit, thereby naturally alleviating constipation. Meanwhile, pectin and its derivatives are potential prebiotics that can selectively increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract, and should exert synergistic effects when used in combination with probiotics.
On one hand, current research on "probiotics + pectin" lacks specificity; most probiotic strains lack the ability to degrade pectin, failing to fully leverage its prebiotic effects. This ultimately results in inconsistent clinical efficacy and a failure to establish stable, effective therapeutic solutions.
On the other hand, pharmacological intervention remains the primary approach for treating constipation. Commonly used medications include prokinetic agents such as 5-HT receptor agonists, intestinal secretagogues like lubiprostone, and laxatives such as senna leaves and bisacodyl. However, these drugs generally have significant drawbacks; long-term use not only easily leads to adverse reactions such as drug dependence and diarrhea but may also cause potential and irreversible damage to the enteric nervous system. Consequently, there is a widespread and urgent demand in the public health sector to identify probiotic strains that can efficiently utilize pectin and are safe with no side effects.
Based on this, the research team proposed a new solution centered on microbiota modulation. The core innovation of this patent lies inSuccessfully isolated two novel strains of *Lactiplantibacillus* with independent intellectual property rights, respectively*Lactiplantibacillus plantarum* PD-14withLactiplantibacillus pentosus PD-16, the two strains of Lactobacillus paracasei effectively meet the industry’s critical needs.
All strains were derived from locally fermented tofu samples in China. A key characteristic distinguishing them from traditional probiotic strains is the inherent presence of a pectin lyase-encoding gene, which confers upon the strains the ability to efficiently degrade pectin. This capability not only facilitates stool transit by producing absorbent gels through pectin degradation but also converts pectin breakdown products into nutritional substrates for beneficial gut microbiota, thereby achieving“Regulating Gut Microbiota Structure + Enhancing Intestinal Motility”dual effects. The regimen adopts a two-pronged approach, effectively addressing the technical limitations of conventional probiotics—namely, their inability to fully leverage the prebiotic value of pectin and their inconsistent clinical efficacy.
In the strain screening and preparation phase, the R&D team established a standardized process.High-activity strains were precisely identified by colony halo size using pectinase screening agar medium (PSAM) combined with Congo red staining. Coupled with anaerobic cultivation in MRS medium, gradient dilution purification, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing identification, this approach ensured both strain purity and functional stability. Furthermore, the strain preservation method is straightforward: long-term cryopreservation is achieved by mixing the strain with 30% glycerol and storing it at -80°C. Subsequent reactivation requires only routine culturing procedures, without the need for specialized equipment.
The efficacy of this strain in alleviating constipation was confirmed through a four-week animal study. The bacterial suspension significantly increased fecal water content and intestinal transit rate in constipated mice, while also shortening the time to first black stool excretion, demonstrating an effect comparable to that of the positive control drug. Compared with traditional laxatives, which are prone to causing drug dependence and enteric nerve damage, probiotic formulations offer both safety and broad applicability, making them more readily accepted by consumers. Furthermore, the strain can be efficiently cultured in standard MRS medium under anaerobic conditions at 37°C, without the need for complex processes, thereby substantially reducing mass production costs.
As a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, constipation has long afflicted individuals across all age groups. Traditional pharmacological treatments are associated with adverse effects such as dependency and intestinal damage, whereas the emergence of novel technologies, including probiotics and bioactive peptides, offers safer and more targeted solutions for constipation relief.
Classy Kiss DairyWithBifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis C-3as the core strain, with dosage forms coveringSolutions and PowdersIts core mechanism involves the formation of a biological barrier by bacterial strains on the intestinal mucosa, which inhibits the colonization of harmful bacteria while promoting the normal secretion of gastrointestinal hormones such as motilin and gastrin, thereby enhancing intestinal sensitivity and small bowel transit rate. The core value of this technology lies in overcoming the limitations of single-strain modulation; its compounded formulation achieves synergistic efficacy, and animal studies have confirmed the absence of significant toxic side effects, making it suitable for long-term maintenance of intestinal health.
Zhejiang A&F University TeamScreening and Solid-Phase Synthesis from Walnut Meal (a Byproduct of Walnut Oil Extraction)Nonapeptide SF-9 (amino acid sequence SWDPNNQQF), belonging to natural bioactive peptides. Its mechanism of action involves high-efficiency binding to the intestinal serotonin receptor 4 (5-HT₄R), which shortens the interval of intestinal peristalsis and enhances the peristaltic promotion rate. Meanwhile, it significantly reduces the time to first black stool excretion in mice, while increasing the number of fecal pellets as well as their dry and wet weights. The innovative value of this technology lies in achieving high-value utilization of agricultural by-products, thereby addressing the challenge of resource recovery from walnut meal. With high safety and broad applicability, these bioactive peptides can be widely used in the development of food, health supplements, and pharmaceuticals, providing a new paradigm for the application of functional bioactive peptides in the field of gut health.
Jiangnan University TeamProposedTargeted Synbiotic Formulations, this microbial preparation is formulated with Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1077, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron CCFM1514, and arabinoxylan, with a strain concentration ratio of 1:1. Its core advantage lies in the synergistic interaction between Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and arabinoxylan, which selectively promotes the proliferation of Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1077 (increasing bacterial copy number by at least two orders of magnitude), thereby improving serum levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide, gastrin, and other biomarkers, enhancing small intestinal propulsion rate and fecal water content, and alleviating colonic tissue damage. This formulation breaks through the limitations of traditional synbiotics characterized by “simple mixing,” employing scientific compatibility based on strain interaction mechanisms. It demonstrates superior efficacy compared to single-strain preparations and conventional combination regimens, providing a new tool for the precise management of constipation.
These technologies, with “safety and no side effects” as their core advantage, have overcome the limitations of traditional medications. The emergence of diverse technologies has not only enriched the product portfolio for constipation relief but also driven the transformation of the gut health industry from “broad-spectrum regulation” to “targeted intervention,” providing core technological support for innovative development across multiple sectors, including food, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals. In the future, as clinical applications deepen, the precision of technologies and the convenience of product forms will become the focal points of further competition.