Protective effect of baker's yeast mannan against Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in mice

The neutral mannan (WNM) and the acidic mannan (WAM025) fractions from baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were found to manifest significant protective effects against intraperitoneal and intravenous infections of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice. A remarkable decrease in the number of microbial cells in spleen and liver was observed in mice inoculated with these microorganisms after administration of either mannan fraction. In order to clarify the mechanism of the protective effects, we investigated in vitro the bactericidal activity and lysosomal enzyme activities such as myeloperoxidase, acid phosphatase, and neutral protease, in Kupffer cells (KCs) from mice pretreated with either mannan fraction. KCs from mice administered with these mannan fractions showed an enhanced killing effect on these bacteria in vitro, and neutral protease activity was considered to be one of the important factors in the killing effect on both L. monocytogenes and P. aeruginosa.