YEAST CELL WALL GHOSTS (COMPRISING MOSTLY GLUCAN); THEIR SEPARATION (USING ALKALI) FROM WHOLE CELLS AND CELL-CONTENTS (WITH BLEACHING, THEN NEUTRALIZATION); AND THEIR USE IN FOOD AND MEDICAMENTS

摘要

Yeast refuse having a solids content not exceeding 20% by weight is digested with a food grade alkaline salt such as sodium bicarbonate, whole cells are separated from the extracted refuse so as to produce a material rich in disrupted cell walls which is then treated with an alkaline extraction agent and bleached either before or after the separation step, followed by lowering the pH of said bleached material using a food grade acid such as dilute hydrochloric acid. The product comprises a yeast beta-glucan which is substantially free of yeast cells, and which predominantly comprises a multiplicity of yeast ghosts or shells comprising substantially uncollapsed yeast cell walls. The yeast ghosts or shells contain a substantially lower quantity of yeast cell contents relative to the whole cells of the yeast refuse.