Hy announced Tuesday that it is broadening its research scope beyond probiotics to include postbiotics and prebiotics, building on its strain research assets.
The company's central research institute holds a library of 5,096 strains — about 5,100 in total — sourced from across the country. Of these, 99 strains verified for functionality and safety have been assigned unique strain identification numbers for systematic management.
Recent research has moved beyond confirming the functions of live probiotics to exploring the potential applications of postbiotics — microorganisms inactivated through heat treatment and similar processes.
This year, hy published research in the SCI-level international journal JMB showing that both live cultures and heat-treated cells of its patented strain "HY2782" produced changes in intestinal inflammation and gut-barrier markers in animal models. A separate study on the kimchi-derived strain "HP7" — comparing live and postbiotic forms under identical conditions — found that both affected gut motility and gut-barrier markers, and was also recently published in JMB. The paper marks the seventh publication related to HP7.
Hy is also conducting parallel prebiotic research. The company published findings in an SCIE-level international journal showing that a plant-derived "prebiotic mixed extract" — a blend of mung bean, red bean and fennel — influenced intestinal inflammation and gut-barrier markers in cell and animal models, and altered gut microbiome composition.
HY7017, a probiotic isolated from ginseng root, received recognition this year from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as an individually recognized functional ingredient, with the designation that it "may help enhance immune function." Human clinical trials confirmed changes in natural killer cell activity and immune-response markers. The approval brings the number of individually recognized ingredients hy holds to nine.
Two other strains — the skin-health lactic acid bacterium "SkinCare HY7714" and the body-fat reduction strain "FatSlim HY7601+KY1032" — were named ingredient of the year in the inner beauty and microbiome modulation categories, respectively, at the NutraIngredients USA Awards 2026 in July.
"Based on our library of about 5,100 strains, we plan to verify the functionality of individual strains and expand our microbiome research to cover not only live bacteria but also postbiotics and prebiotics," a researcher at hy's central research institute said. "We will accumulate data through publications, patents and human clinical trials to strengthen our ingredient competitiveness, and connect that to our consumer products and B2B ingredient business."
andy@heraldcorp.com
