Unlocking High-Value Components from Brewer's Spent Yeast for Innovative Food Applications

Utilization of beneficial components from food industry waste is a very promising endeavor, which is in line with the circular economy and sustainable development. Brewer's spent yeast, as one of the major brewing by-products, has a wealth of high-value materials such as β-glucans and peptides. β-glucans are derived from the cell wall and possess immunomodulatory and prebiotic properties, which are considered healthy for consumption due to their yeast-derived nature. Some studies have shown that yeast peptides have bioactivities such as hypotensive and antioxidant activities and have been utilized in large quantities in the food industry as flavor substances. This paper reviews recent research on the extraction methods, bioactivities, and applications in food of brewer's spent yeast β-glucans and peptides. The article also summarizes the challenges of utilizing the high-value components of BSY and offers an outlook for future work. Overall, this paper provides a basis for the future comprehensive utilization of brewer's spent yeast.