A new non-degrading isolation process for 1,3-beta-D-glucan of high purity from baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

1,3-beta-D-glucan is a widespread polysaccharide in microorganisms, mushrooms and plants. Numerous benefits for the health of humans and animals have been described for more than 50 years. One readily available source for 1,3-beta-D-glucan is the cell wall of the common baker's or brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Conventional isolation processes involving treatments with hot alkali and acids, however, cause a certain degradation of the polymeric chains resulting not only in reduced yields but also a possible weakening of the beneficial effects. We have developed a new non-degrading process for the isolation of glucan from yeast cell walls comprising gentle extraction steps and enzymatic treatments without any extreme pH values. Depending on the quality of the utilized yeast cell walls, 1,3-beta-D-glucan is obtained in a purity of up to 92% and a yield of 87%. During this process, the valuable byproduct mannoprotein-also beneficial for health-is easily obtained. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.