ReviewBiotechnological use of Candida yeasts in the food industry: A review

Yeasts of the Candida genus comprise a group of microbes with a significant potential for industrial use. This work presents some directions for biotechnological use of these microbes. The first includes utilization of biomass of Candida utilis yeasts as a source of microbial proteins, rich in exogenous amino acids, including lysine. Biomass of Candida yeasts is also a source of β-glucans, glucomannan, and mannoproteins with anti-genotoxic, anti-neoplastic, and antioxidative properties. Candida yeast cells may collect and accumulate elements from their cultivation medium, often in amounts exceeding their natural demand, forming bioplexes, for example, with selenium or magnesium. Thanks to these properties, biomasses of these yeasts may provide a fully valuable additive to feedstocks. The second direction of biotechnological use of Candida yeasts is related to the production of extracellular metabolites such as citric acid, ethanol, xylitol, erythritol, biosurfactants, and exopolysaccharides. These substances are used in the food processing industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the cosmetic industry.