Saccharomyces boulardiieffects on gastrointestinal diseases

Abstract

Health benefits attributed to probiotics have been described for decades. They include the treatment and the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, vaginal and urinary infections and allergies. Saccharomyces boulardii, a species of yeast widely distributed, has been described as a biotherapeutic agent since several clinical trials displayed its beneficial effects in the prevention and the treatment of intestinal infections and in the maintenance of inflammatory bowel disease. All these diseases are characterized by acute diarrhoea. Administration of the yeast in combination or not with an antibiotherapy has shown to decrease significantly the duration and the frequency of diarrhoea. Experimental studies elucidated partially the molecular mechanisms triggered to improve the host health. The discovery of its anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activities in correlation with the advances in the understanding of mucosal immunology opens a new field of perspectives in S. boulardii therapeutic applications.

Utility of Feed Enzymes and Yeast Derivatives in Ameliorating Deleterious Effects of Coccidiosis on Intestinal Health and Function in Broiler Chickens

“…Several mechanisms have been suggested as to the broad healthpromoting effects of consuming yeast probiotics in humans and span from local general trophic effects to action on both innate and/or adaptive immunity (117,119,120). Clinical trials included mitigation of antibiotic-associated diarrhea; Clostridium difficile diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases (117,121). Folignè et al (117) tested six yeast strains for anti-inflammatory potential and demonstrated that yeastmediated protection seems to take place predominantly at the level of the intestinal mucosa.…”

Down-regulation of intestinal epithelial innate response by probiotic yeasts isolated from kefir

“…Although yeasts have been used traditionally for producing different foods and are present as commensals in the gastrointestinal tract, only Saccharomyces boulardii has been shown to have immune modulating properties. S. boulardii is a non-pathogenic yeast used for many years to prevent or treat a variety of human gastrointestinal disorders (Buts, 2008;Buts and De Keyser, 2006;Szajewska et al, 2007;Zanello et al, 2008).…”

The immature gut : Microbes and nutrition orchestrate maturation of the preterm gastrointestinal tract

“…Many fungi are commensal and some have been shown to confer health benefits 58,62,155,175 . For example, administration of the probiotic strain S. boulardii has been shown to be effective in ameliorating gastrointestinal diseases 176,177 . In contrast to health benefits, the mycobiota can, however, also act as a reservoir for opportunistic…”

“…While many intestinal fungi are commensal and may confer health benefits, fungal overgrowth may lead to infections that are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality rates 155,176,177 . Preterm infants are particularly prone to invasive, systemic candidiasis that affects approximately 10% of preterm infants and has an associated mortality rate of 20% 178,383 .…”