Wheat gluten hydrolysates separated by macroporous resins enhance the stress tolerance in brewer's yeast.

Wheat gluten hydrolysates (WGH) were used to examine their adsorption-desorption kinetics and thermodynamics characteristics on six macroporous resins, and their effects on the stress tolerance in brewer's yeast. Results showed that the pseudo second-order kinetics, Langmuir and Freundlich model could illuminate the adsorption mechanism, and the adsorption process was physical, spontaneous and exothermic. The 40% ethanol fraction separated by XAD-16 resin improved significantly the ethanol tolerance and the viability of brewer's yeast, while the 0% ethanol fraction separated by XAD-16 resin increased obviously the osmotic stress tolerance and the viability of brewer's yeast. Results from scanning electron microscopy showed that both these WGH fractions could increase budding rate and maintain normal morphology of yeast cells under various environmental stress. Thus, WGH separated by macroporous resin could be used in high gravity brewing to enhance the ethanol and osmotic stress tolerance in brewer's yeast.