Identification and assessment of bioactive yeast strains and cell wall components

Since yeast probiotics and their cell wall components (CWC) are being used to treat enteric inflammatory diseases in different species including humans, they may be useful for preventing Johne’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium spp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Considerable variation in the efficacy of different yeast probiotics and their CWC has been reported; therefore we are proposing to develop in vitro assays that will allow us to assess potential anti-adhesive properties of yeast strains and CWC using MAP as a target pathogen. Additionally, bovine macrophages will be used to assess potential yeast strain and CWC immunomodulatory properties. These assays may be useful for high throughput screening of probiotics and their bioactive compounds, studying their mechanisms of action, and for product quality control.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Niel Karrow

Student:

Ziwei Li

Partner:

Lallemand Inc.

Discipline:

Animal science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph