Utilization of prebiotic carbohydrates by yeasts of therapeutic relevance

Aims: To investigate 17 strains of therapeutically relevant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (including 10 strains of so‐called S. boulardii ) isolated from various pharmaceutical products, feed supplements and brewer’s yeast for their capability of utilizing selected carbohydrates of prebiotic importance. Methods and Results: Automated turbidimetric measurements and conventional test combinations were used to examine the basic sugar assimilation profiles of the test strains. It was shown that none of the so‐called S. boulardii strains utilized galactose and palatinose. Among the prebiotic substrates, the yeasts indicated a pronounced preference for metabolizing the fructo‐oligosaccharides. Conclusions: Yeast strains of therapeutic relevance can be successfully combined with certain prebiotics in synbiotic formulations. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results of this study may serve as a basis for the development of new pharmaceutical preparations for medical therapy and a better understanding of intestinal micro‐ecology.