Selenium Amplifies Yeast Anti-Cancer Compounds

FRESNO, Calif.Selenium yeast,  but not regular yeast, contains a more beneficial profile of prostate cancer-related compounds, according to recent research from Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey. Published in the Jan. 4 issue of the Journal of Proteomics, the study  found selenium yeast (as SelenoExcell®, from Cypress Systems) contains higher levels of three anti-cancer proteins and lower levels of two key pro-cancer proteins.

Researchers used a two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) technique to analyze both selenium-yeast and regular yeast, finding selenium yeast had higher levels of pyruvate kinase, HSP70, and elongation factor 2 and lower levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A-2 and triosephosphate isomerase. These five proteins are often used as biomarkers in predicting and understanding carcinogenesis.

"We always believed that selenium form does make a difference and felt it is the reason why high-selenium yeast such as SelenoExcell has been effective in cancer prevention clinical trials and why other forms of selenium have not been effective in clinical trials, said Paul A. Willis, CEO and president of Cypress Systems, Inc.

Selenium biochemist Mark Whitacre, Ph.D.,  chief operating officer and chief science officer at Cypress Systems, noted,  "We suspect that the advantage of SelenoExcell high-selenium yeast is because of its content of multiple forms of selenium, including some that are more direct acting in anti-carcinogenesis.  This newly published study from Penn State researchers supports this hypothesis."