Simple process for the reduction in the nucleic acid content in yeast

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Yeast Fermentation
• Bioprocess Engineering

Background:

• High nucleic acid content in yeast biomass can limit its use in food and feed applications.
• Traditional methods for nucleic acid reduction are often complex or inefficient.
• Rhodotorula glutinis is a yeast species with potential industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, one-step method for reducing nucleic acid content in Rhodotorula glutinis.
• To optimize heat treatment conditions for efficient nucleic acid reduction.
• To evaluate the impact of the process on amino acid and crude protein content.

Main Methods:

• Yeast cells (Rhodotorula glutinis) were subjected to heat treatment in an acidic (pH 2) spent medium.
• Optimal temperature for heat treatment was determined.
• Nucleic acid, amino acid, and crude protein content were analyzed before and after treatment.

Main Results:

• A one-step heat treatment at pH 2 and 90°C reduced nucleic acid content to 1.2%.
• Acidic pH heat treatment provided better protection for amino acids and crude protein compared to alkaline pH.
• The process was found to be rapid and economic.

Conclusions:

• A simple, efficient, and cost-effective heat treatment method for nucleic acid reduction in Rhodotorula glutinis has been established.
• The process preserves essential amino acids and crude protein, making it suitable for industrial applications.
• This method offers a significant advantage over existing techniques for yeast biomass processing.