On probiotic yeasts in food development: Saccharomyces boulardii, a trend

Studies conducted in the last decades have demonstrated the probiotic effects of several yeast species. Among the probiotic yeast evaluated, Saccharomyces boulardii is the most common and widely studied species with significant probiotic properties, such as survival capacity in the acidic environment of the gastrointestinal tract and improvements in the intestinal microbiota. In recent years, new evidence indicated that the incorporation of probiotic yeasts is also a promising approach in food development, thus leading to new perspectives for a more integrated strategy for a potential application of S. boulardii in the development of innovative functional food products. In this review, an overview of recent published data on the application of probiotic yeast in foods is presented, especially on the use of S. boulardii as a trend to develop several functional foods, such as non-alcoholic, fermented alcoholic, vegetable, and bakery products.