ARTICLE 82 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2025 “Researchers at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, in collaboration with the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (INSA Toulouse, France), have developed and published a new in vitro method to measure pathogen binding using flow cytometry (Schiavone et al. 2024). This advanced approach quantifies bacteria–yeast interactions at the single-cell level, bringing new precision and reliability to functionality testing.” In modern animal production, maintaining intestinal health is an everyday challenge. Bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella are not just health risks, but they also undermine performance, feed efficiency, and animal welfare. Their ability to attach to the gut epithelium initiates inflammation and stress, setting off a cascade that affects productivity and ultimately profitability. To counter this, yeast cell wall products have become an established part of nutritional strategies. Their mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) can bind undesirable bacteria, limiting their adhesion to the intestinal mucosa, and together with β-glucans support immune modulation. Yet, not all yeast cell walls perform the same and recent research has revealed why. A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW BINDING REALLY WORKS Researchers at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, in collaboration with the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (INSA Toulouse, France), have developed and published a new in vitro method to measure pathogen binding using flow cytometry (Schiavone et al. 2024). This advanced approach quantifies bacteria– yeast interactions at the single-cell level, bringing new precision and reliability to functionality testing. Applied to Optiwall (Lallemand Animal Nutrition), a yeast cell wall product with distinct structural features, this method confirmed powerful and consistent binding across multiple E. coli and Salmonella strains. Testing over 15 batches on different E. coli strains (Figure 1) demonstrated strong batch-to-batch consistency and broad-spectrum versatility, providing robust validation of Optiwall’s performance and reliability. On average, Optiwall achieved around 80 % binding across three E. coli strains and 96 % with Salmonella, highlighting its strong and consistent pathogen-binding capacity. STRUCTURE MATTERS MORE THAN NUMBERS The results bring a clear message: efficacy cannot be predicted by composition alone. Even products with comparable or higher MOS or β-glucan levels may differ widely in functionality. What truly makes the difference is how the yeast cell wall is built: its strain origin, structural integrity, and the length and accessibility of its MOS chains. STRENGTH IN STRUCTURE: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PATHOGEN BINDING Monika Leukert Product Manager, Antioxidative Solutions & Yeast Derivatives Lallemand Animal Nutrition
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