Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 as a New Therapeutic Agent Against Oropharyngeal Candidiasis

Oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common opportunistic mucosal infection of the oral cavity, mainly caused by an overgrowth of . This infection can inhibit nutritional intakes and strongly affect quality of life. To date, standard therapeutic strategies involving the administration of antifungal drugs can bring several side effects, not least the emergence of drug-resistant strains. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of CNCM I-3856 (live or inactivated cells) against oropharyngeal candidiasis. Our results show that administration of CNCM I-3856 (live or inactivated cells) in the oral cavity of C57BL/6J mice resulted in a protective effect against oropharyngeal candidiasis. The strongest effect was obtained with live CNCM I-3856. This was related to: (1) a decrease in load in the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and duodenum; (2) an early resolution of inflammatory process in the tongue; (3) a marked reduction in virulence factors; and (4) a consistent increase in neutrophil antimicrobial capacity. These findings suggest that products are potentially beneficial in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis.