AccScience Publishing / MI / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/MI026010001
REVIEW ARTICLE

Characteristics and health benefits of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii

Hadeel Edkaidek1 Divakar Dahiya2 Poonam Singh Nigam3*
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1 Department of Food Processing, Faculty of Agriculture, Palestine Technical University-Al-Aroub Branch, Al-Aroub, Hebron, Palestine
2 Department of Haematology, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom
3 Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Received: 4 January 2026 | Revised: 3 March 2026 | Accepted: 9 April 2026 | Published online: 30 April 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Saccharomyces boulardii is a well-established probiotic yeast with documented clinical benefits for gastrointestinal health. This review highlights the key biotherapeutic mechanisms underlying its protective effects, with particular emphasis on its bioactive metabolites, including specialized enzymes, polyamines, organic acids, and vitamins. These postbiotic factors contribute to epithelial barrier reinforcement, immune modulation, and pathogen exclusion, thereby promoting intestinal homeostasis. In addition, S. boulardii supports microbial equilibrium through colonization resistance and regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. Clinical evidence demonstrates its efficacy in the prevention and management of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Safety considerations are also addressed, noting its biological distinction from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, particularly its inability to undergo hyphal transformation. Owing to its resilience against gastric acidity, bile salts, and concomitant antibiotic therapy, S. boulardii represents a valuable adjunct in contemporary gastrointestinal therapeutics and a promising platform for functional and translational applications.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Saccharomyces boulardii
Probiotic
Yeast
Bioactive
Metabolites
Enzymes
Microbiome
Functional foods
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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