Effect of Yeast and of Yeast Extracts on Liver Necrosis and Hemolysis by Dialuric Acid of Red Blood Cells of Rats on a Necrogenic Diet

Abstract

Dietary supplements of British bakers' yeast, Fleischmann's bakers' yeast, alcoholic extracts of yeast, or the ether extracts of the residue of the alcoholic extracts prevented or decreased the incidence of hemorrhagic liver necrosis in rats on diets which regularly induce this fatal liver injury. Like vitamin E, these extracts of yeast, when fed as dietary supplements, also increase the resistance to in vitro hemolysis by dialuric acid of the erythrocytes of the rats on the vitamin E-deficient diets. In contrast, dietary supplements of cystine which protected rats from liver necrosis did not reverse the characteristic susceptibility to hemolysis by dialuric acid of the erythrocytes of the rats. The same alcoholic extracts of yeast or ether extracts of the alcohol-soluble fractions of yeast when added to red blood cell suspensions of vitamin E-deficient rats, like vitamin E, protected them from the hemolytic action of dialuric acid. The active principle in the extracts protecting the vitamin E-deficient erythrocytes was found to be a blue fluorescent substance which gives a positive Emmerie-Engel reaction and is different from alpha-, beta-, gamma-, or delta-tocopherol.