Valuation of brewers spent yeast polysaccharides: A structural characterization approach

• Brewers spent yeast (BSY) polysaccharides are mostly insoluble in water (83%).
• BSY polysaccharides are constituted by β-glucans, glycogen and mannoproteins.
• These polysaccharides account for (1→4)-Glc residues in both α- and β-configurations.
• BSY contains polysaccharides with structural features and properties characteristic of cellulose.

Brewers spent yeast (BSY) is a by-product from beer industry that can be exploited as source of glucans and mannoproteins, with potential biological activities. In order to solubilize these carbohydrate-rich polymeric materials, a sequential extraction with hot water and alkaline solutions (0.1–8 M KOH) was performed. Mannoproteins were mainly (85%) extracted with 4 M KOH whereas glucans were extracted with 8 M KOH and in an amount that accounted only for 34% of total glucose. Final residue still accounted for 34% of the initial glucans and contained 98% of glucose. Cellulase and α-amylase treatments showed the presence of both α- and β-(1→4)-Glc linkages. To promote total solubilization of these insoluble glucans, the final residue was submitted to a partial acid hydrolysis. This work is the first report showing that the most abundant polysaccharides in BSY are polymers that contain structural features similar to cellulose, thus justifying their resistance to alkaline extractions, acid hydrolysis, and insolubility in water.