Potential Vitamin and Alzheimer's Drug Produced in Yeast

A study published in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology involved the production of 0.6 gram of ergothioneine per liter yeast broth in a small-scale fermentation process, reports ScienceDaily . Ergothioneine is a natural amino acid with antioxidative properties, which blocks cellular stress that could lead to brain diseases, neurological damage, and cancer. Research suggests ergothioneine might have significant potential as a vitamin to prevent or delay disease onset, and the new study could offer an inexpensive process for culturing ergothioneine in large amounts. "By making this important antioxidant in a biobased fashion, you avoid using chemicals or farmland," says the Technical University of Denmark's Steven van der Hoek. "Yeast is far better at producing ergothioneine than humans or mushrooms could ever be." The researchers screened enzymes from different fungi and from the bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis in various combinations to identify clones with the highest ergothioneine concentration. With yeast as the production medium, they learned that two specific fungal enzymes, NcEgt1 and CpEgt2, produced the optimal blend. By adding amino acids that serve as building blocks of ergothioneine to the medium, the researchers substantially increased ergothioneine production.