Folate 

Folate is the collective name of all bioactive forms of same basic molecule, also known  as vitamin B9 (the term folic acid is the synthetic reduced form of B9, which must be transformed in the liver to become bioactive). Folate is an essential co-factor in many reactions (carying and delivering 1-carbon goups) necessary for DNA and RNA synthesis, methylation processes and much more, in all cells and organisms.

Folate deficiency is a well known global problem for vulnurabe population groups (people in low income countries, elderly, women at childbearing age and anyone eating generally poor diet).

Suboptimal intake of folate increases the risk for neural tube defects, anaemia, and probably several cancer forms, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease

Certain high folate yeast strains have a naturally high capacity to produce folate to levels (folate per weight) exceeding the  folate content in all other natural food products, including for instance liver, beans and broccoli.

After many years research on folate biosynthesis and metabolism in yeasts we have knowledge on how to culture yeast to reach a high folate state, i.e. to boost the folate biosynthesis and content.

Strains matter as do the bioprocessing. We have shown a tremendous increase in for instance bread by using both naturally high folate yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) and optimized culturing conditions

High folate yeasts together with bioprocessing can be used to produce high folate foods (without any addition of synthetic folic acid). This means a completely natural biofortification which can be applied on e.g bread, kefir or any other fermented product ín which yeast is a part.

Same  strategy can be used to also produce so called Nutritional Yeast (dried yeast flakes) with much higher folate content compared with such products currently commercially produced.

High folate bifidobacteria - In collaboration with University of Bologna and Professor Paola Mattarelli in Bologna University we have for many years done research  also on high folate bifidobacteria.

Bifidobacteria are important in a healthy human gut biota and we have identified folate producing bifidobacteria bifido-species which are a natural part of the human gut biota.

In addition to high folate foods, we propose the concept folate probiotics. This means that a folate producing gut colonizing microorganism can produce folate in our intestine which can be absorbed by our intestinal epoithelia cells. This type of trophic probiotic applies to both yeasts and bifidobacteria

Food producers and biotech companies are welcome to contact us for discussion on natural folate bioenrichment or any research group to discuss collaborating in for instance evaluating folate probiotics.