Navarre Government Allocates €223,624.34 to the PROCAPS Project to Validate the Efficacy of Microencapsulated Probiotics

The R&D project PROCAPS, led by the company NUCAPS NANOTECHNOLOGY, S.L. in collaboration with the University of Navarra, has completed its clinical validation phase, demonstrating the effectiveness of microencapsulation technology in improving intestinal health. The initiative received a grant of €223,624.34 from the Government of Navarre.

Progress in Personalized Medicine and Functional Ingredients

The main objective of PROCAPS was to determine in humans whether microencapsulation protects probiotics during gastrointestinal transit, allowing them to reach the distal regions of the intestine alive and exert their beneficial effects.
This development represents a significant innovation in the field of functional foods, enabling the creation of affordable products capable of effectively acting on the intestinal microbiota.

Clinical Results: Efficacy Demonstrated in Humans

A study conducted with 18 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50 showed that microencapsulation is the most effective strategy to ensure probiotics reach the intestine alive. The product developed with this technology increased the presence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus fourfold after treatment, rising from an initial 11% to 44.4%. Additionally, advanced genetic analysis confirmed that only this format significantly increased the amount of this beneficial bacterium in the intestinal microbiota.
In contrast, the commercial product used as a reference showed a tendency to decrease both in the count of lactic acid bacteria and in the presence of the specific strain.
The project has achieved its main strategic milestones, notably the technology transfer from the university to the company and the industrial scale-up of the product, with the production of stable and safe batches that maintain their microbiological viability.