ARKHANGELSK, April 10. /TASS/. Specialists of the Northern Arctic Federal University (NARFU) in Arkhangelsk will develop new lactobacilli- based drugs from wood raw materials, using polymer carriers, Professor Andrey Aksenov at the Department of Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology told TASS. A team of young scientists works to obtain nutrient compounds for bacteria from various types of wood.
"Lactobacilli in a Petri dish grow happily on a prebiotic substance derived from wood polymers, and they feel quite comfortable," he said. "When such useful bacteria enter the body together with prebiotic substances in a minimally altered state, they are quite likely to take root and improve the intestinal microflora's composition."
Probiotic microorganisms are living beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacilli. They are used to restore the digestive system and to build up the immune system.
Prebiotics are growth promoters of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. As a rule, they are carbohydrate components with a specific chain length. In a composition, properly selected pro- and prebiotics acquire stability and improve intestinal function. Such biologically active additives are necessary for both animals and humans. Russia has been importing many products of the kind, and it is certainly important to create domestic drugs, including those using valuable wood components.
Creating prebiotics and carriers to fix or immobilize probiotics from wood raw materials requires chemical and biocatalytic processes of several stages. When they are implemented, special sponge frameworks will be obtained from polysaccharides, and on them beneficial bacteria will be fixed. The team of young scientists plans to obtain from various types of wood oligomeric, that is, consisting of a small, fixed number of repeating units, nutrient compounds for bacteria.
The project's implementation is supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The research team unites specialists of the Northern Arctic Federal University, the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, the Lomonosov Moscow State University, undergraduates and postgraduates.