There has been a growing interest in the beneficial use of probiotics. In a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers found that brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) contains probiotic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
- In the study, researchers at Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) looked at the potential probiotic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of a strain of brewer’s yeast isolated from fruit.
- Brewer’s yeast was found to be tolerant to different temperatures and pH, high concentration of bile salt and sodium chloride (NaCl), gastric juice, intestinal environment, alpha-amylase, trypsin, and lysozyme.
- It has the ability to produce organic acid and exhibited resistance against drugs, such as tetracycline, ampicillin, gentamycin, penicillin, polymyxin B and nalidixic acid.
- It can absorb cholesterol and can produce killer toxin, vitamin B12, glutathione, siderophore, and strong biofilm.
- It showed moderate auto-aggregation ability and cell surface hydrophobicity, which are essential properties of probiotics.
- Brewer’s yeast can also produce enzymes, such as amylase, protease, lipase, cellulose, that improve nutrient utilization in the gut.
- The isolate exhibited better antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria than gram-positive.
- It also demonstrated powerful antioxidant activity, reducing power, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, significant brine shrimp cytotoxicity and acute toxicity, and metal ion chelating activity.
- Toxicity tests revealed that it is safe to be used for human patients.
- In treated mice, the isolate improved lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production.