Structural Basis and Molecular Mechanism of Yeast Biosorption: for Food Safety and Nutrition

Yeast is widely used in food processing, yet its unique cellular structure and the resulting potential for biosorption remains underutilized. A literature search was performed in databases including PubMed and ScienceDirect using a combination of relevant keywords, including yeast biosorption, food contaminants, bioactive compounds, and biosorption enhancement. The search was specifically focused on studies pertaining to food or food-related systems. This narrative review elucidates that rapid, passive surface biosorption mediated by the yeast cell membrane (primarily the mannan layer) conforms to pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir/Freundlich isotherm, while active, energy-driven intracellular accumulation dominates at trace levels. For food safety, optimized yeast-mediated processes achieve 70%-90% removal of heavy metals (Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺) and mycotoxins (patulin, ochratoxin A) in complex matrices, significantly reducing their in vivo bioavailability. In addition, yeast can serve as a protective carrier for sensitive bioactive substances, improving their gastrointestinal stability and bioavailability (e.g., the bioavailability of tea polyphenols increased from 12.2% to 73.2%). Biosorption is further upgraded via surface-display genetic engineering, alkaline pretreatments (improving polyphenol loading by 93.2%), and physical intensification (ultrasonic treatment or vacuum perfusion, etc.). Ultimately, transitioning to industrial food applications requires characterization of complex yeast-matrix interactions and the strategic utilization of active metabolic networks in viable yeast platforms.