Lipases are enzymes of great application importance in the food industry, in the cosmetic and detergent industries, in pharmacy and medicine, and in organic chemistry. Among lipases of various origins, those from microorganisms are currently the most commonly used. An excellent producer of lipases seems to be the nonconventional Yarrowia lipolytica yeast, but the biosynthesis of valuable metabolites depends on many factors. This study aimed to investigate the biodiversity of extracellular enzymes produced by four strains of Y. lipolytica, and to determine the optimal conditions of catalysis for the enzymes, according to temperature and pH, in a model hydrolysis reaction. Based on the obtained results, the biodiversity and strain dependence in lipase biosynthesis were observed. Using a Central Composite Design, it was found that temperature is the main factor in determining lipase activity. The enzymes produced by four different strains exhibited other substrate specificity, which was investigated using Latin square design methodology. Only two examined yeast strains, KKP 379 and W29, produced extracellular lipases at a high activity level towards medium- and long-chain fatty acid esters. Moreover, extracellular lipase from wild-type strain KKP 379 was further characterized, followed by exploring the activity of whole-cell biocatalyst and lyophilized enzyme solutions, and it was acknowledged that it was a “true” lipase with the highest affinity to p-nitrophenyl oleate.

Unconventional yeasts, most notably those belonging to the genus Yarrowia, are garnering mounting interest from the scientific community due to their considerable promise in biotechnological applications. In the scientific literature, most attention is devoted to the species Y. lipolytica. The present work focuses on presenting the detailed phenotypic and metabolic characteristics of other less studied species, such as Y. bubula, Y. deformans, Y. phangngensis, and Y. alimentaria. The review includes a comprehensive analysis of Yarrowia species, focusing on their taxonomy, ecology, physiology, and industrial potential. These yeasts demonstrate significant variability in terms of temperature tolerance, substrate utilization, enzymatic activity, and lipid accumulation. A comparative analysis of strain collections, genomic features, and published biochemical studies is conducted. Several described species possess characteristics that are suitable for many applications, including protease production, adaptation to low temperatures, and synthesis of valuable lipids and sugar alcohols. This review also presents a regulatory framework supporting the safe use of Yarrowia yeast species in food, feed, and pharmaceuticals, and discusses the genetic background of those microorganisms. Although Y. lipolytica is the most prevalent species in current applications, the growing knowledge of other Yarrowia species suggests significant untapped potential. It is imperative that further comparative, safety application, and genomic studies be conducted in order to fully exploit this diversity for the purpose of sustainable biotechnological innovation.

This study investigated the potential of Yarrowia lipolytica, an oleaginous yeast, for producing lipid-rich biomass and its application in food technology. According to EFSA guidelines, lipid-rich biomass is recognized as a novel food with potential nutritional and technological value. However, cost-effective and scalable production of such biomass remains a challenge. The yeast was cultured in a nitrogen-limited medium using a cost-containment strategy based on the use of waste carbon sources, such as post-frying oil and untreated tap water. The composed batch culture approach studied in the experiments presented an example that reduces the cost of yeast biomass biosynthesis. This research aimed to characterize the biomass to assess its nutritional quality and suitability for food applications. Cultures were conducted in a laboratory bioreactor with a working volume of 4 litres. Key kinetic parameters were determined, including biomass yield (X), maximum lipid concentration (Lmax), lipid yield, protein yield relative to substrate and the specific rate of lipid synthesis or protein content and other cellular components. The biomass of Y. lipolytica demonstrated a high lipid content (39.43–50.53%), with significant levels of protein (24.16–27.03%) and unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid (62.73–66.44%) and linoleic acid (19.40–21.40%). Lipid-rich biomass produced in cultures with shorter times (20 h), which ended in the logarithmic growth phase, exhibited lower oxidative stability than longer cultures (65 h), which ended in the stationary growth phase. The results of this study highlighted that waste carbon sources and untreated tap water did not significantly impact the biomass yield or the nutritional profile, but did affect the stability of the produced oil. The biomass of Y. lipolytica, containing over 20% lipids, could serve as a promising raw material for food technology, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional vegetable oils. This work makes an important contribution to the development of alternative lipid sources by integrating waste processing in bioreactor-scale culture and kinetic modelling.

Yeasts, especially the conventional species Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, as well as some unconventional species such as Pichia pastoris, Kluyveromyces marxianus and Yarrowia lipolytica, have become fundamental model organisms for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases. Their eukaryotic cell organization, genetic simplicity, and strong conservation of essential biological pathways make them indispensable in biomedical research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of different yeast species in modeling human disorders, highlighting historical milestones and groundbreaking discoveries that have shaped current knowledge. The article discusses the applications of yeast models in studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s, as well as metabolic diseases, infectious diseases and mitochondrial disorders, and their growing importance in cancer research and drug discovery. Special attention is given to humanized yeast models, which enable the expression and functional analysis of human genes and the heterologous synthesis of human proteins within yeast cells. Finally, the paper addresses the limitations and challenges of yeast as a model system while outlining future directions and emphasizing the organism’s continued relevance in personalized medicine and functional genomics.