The Effect of Debaryomyces hansenii on Clostridioides difficile
Date
2021-08
Authors
Widmer, Julia
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Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming, opportunistic pathogen, which is naturally present in low abundance in the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome. At low levels the bacterium does not pose a threat to the health of the host, but when a stressor is introduced to the environment the bacteria can cause an infection. A common stressor associated with a C. difficile infection (CDI) is antibiotics. Antibiotics used to treat other bacterial infections can decrease the diversity of the GI microbiota. C. difficile forms spores which aid in the over-colonization of the GI tract and are the primary cause of nosocomial transmission. Probiotics can help to restore the balance of the GI microbiota and decrease the chance of developing CDI. Some beneficial microbes produce secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties that may inhibit the growth of C. difficile in the GI tract. Debaryomyces hansenii, a common yeast, is a potential probiotic candidate that produces a secondary metabolite known as mycocin which has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. The research presented here investigates the effect of Debaryomyces hansenii, on the sporulation of C. difficile.
Description
Keywords
Clostriodioides difficile, Debaryomyces hansenii, probiotic
Citation
Widmer, J. (2021). The effect of Debaryomyces hansenii on Clostridioides difficile (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.