(538a) Bioprocess Platform Design for Large Scale Production of Selenium Free and Selenium Rich Probiotic/Biotherapeutic Yeast Saccharomyces Boulardii

Probiotic organisms or biotherapeutic agent can be defined as live microorganisms which feed on or use in adequate amounts will beneficially affects the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance. The list of potential widely used probiotics includes many strains mainly belongs to Lactobacillus, Enterobacter, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus, and Saccharomyces. Nowadays Saccharomyces boulardii has been used in many countries either as preventive or therapeutic agent for diarrhea and also other GI disorders which cause by administration of antimicrobial agents. In addition, S. boulardii act as a shuttle liberating effective enzymes, proteins and tropic factors during intestinal transit that help to improve host immune defenses, digestion and absorption of nutrients. In this study, a special type of yeast adapted to dryness and high temperature stress were applied to increase the shelf-life of the product and to decrease the cost of downstream process by replacing freeze drying by spray drying. This work was focused on optimization of different cultivation parameters to increase cell mass production with minimal alcohol production. A maximal biomass of about 85 g/L was achieved by using exponential feeding strategy in stirred tank bioreactor. The scalability of this process was proven by cultivating the cells up to 70-L stirred tank bioreactor. Furthermore, studies were also carried out to produce selenium enriched S. boulardii in high cell density culture to increase the health benefit of this probiotic yeast and became as a potential source of organic selenium for food supplement industries.