Production of folates (vitamin B9) by yeasts

What is it about?

The focus of the research was to identify yeasts from barley kernels in order to study their folate production capability while maintaining high viscosity caused by soluble fibres in oat bran fermentation. The yeasts belonged to the genera Aureobasidium, Cryptococcus, Pseudozyma, and Rhodotorula. Food yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida milleri, Kluyveromyces marxianus and Galactomyces geotrichum, were used as controls. The best folate producers were S. cerevisiae, followed by Pseudozyma sp., Rhodotorula glutinis, and K. marxianus. Most of the yeasts isolated from barley destroyed the solid, viscous structure of the oat bran solution, indicating that they degraded the viscosity generating soluble fibres, considered to be nutritionally advantageous.

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Why is it important?

High soluble fibre content and high natural folate content but low energy content food and snack products with pleasant fermentation aroma provide possibilities for new developments in the food industry.