AUTHOR=Roselletti Elena , Sabbatini Samuele , Ballet Nathalie , Perito Stefano , Pericolini Eva , Blasi Elisabetta , Mosci Paolo , Cayzeele Decherf Amélie , Monari Claudia , Vecchiarelli Anna 

TITLE=Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 as a New Therapeutic Agent Against Oropharyngeal Candidiasis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01469

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.01469

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common opportunistic mucosal infection of the oral cavity, mainly caused by an overgrowth of <italic>Candida albicans</italic>. This infection can inhibit nutritional intakes and strongly affect quality of life. To date, standard therapeutic strategies involving the administration of antifungal drugs can bring several side effects, not least the emergence of drug-resistant strains. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic> CNCM I-3856 (live or inactivated cells) against oropharyngeal candidiasis. Our results show that administration of <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> CNCM I-3856 (live or inactivated cells) in the oral cavity of C57BL/6J mice resulted in a protective effect against oropharyngeal candidiasis. The strongest effect was obtained with live <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> CNCM I-3856. This was related to: (1) a decrease in <italic>C. albicans</italic> load in the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum; (2) an early resolution of inflammatory process in the tongue; (3) a marked reduction in <italic>C. albicans</italic> virulence factors; and (4) a consistent increase in neutrophil antimicrobial capacity. These findings suggest that <italic>S. cerevisiae</italic> products are potentially beneficial in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.</p>