Abstract
This study evaluates the potential of various yeast strains as probiotic and postbiotic agents for agglutinating enteric pathogens, offering a preventive approach to gastrointestinal infections. Different yeast species were tested in vitro against a range of pathogenic bacteria, including enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli ETEC, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, to assess their capacity for pathogen agglutination. Additionally, inactivated yeasts were obtained using a novel chemical treatment and employed to explore their efficacy as postbiotic agents. The results suggest that both live and inactivated yeasts are able to agglutinate the different pathogens, potentially limiting bacterial colonization. Notably, we also demonstrated that Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia fermentans, exhibiting agglutination activity, were capable of reducing bacterial adhesion to HeLa cells in vitro. This research highlights yeast's probiotic and postbiotic potential and supports the development of novel yeast-based products for preventing enteric infections.