the present invention relates to novel methods of cultivating yeast in a solution containing an organochromium complex as the source of external chromium . the organochromium complex solution comprises one mole of chromium salt with two moles of nicotinate and one mole of glycinate . cultivation in yeast followed by purification and isolation of a dried yeast product yields a dried yeast mass having an enriched content of trivalent chromium possessing high biological activity . this dried yeast mass may then be used as a nutritional supplement for the human diet . hence , the present invention provides a process for producing a chromium yeast which comprises the steps of : ( 1 ) dissolving an organochromium complex in distilled water to form an organochromium solution ; ( 3 ) admixing the organochromium solution with live yeast culture to form a yeast - organochromium mixture ; ( 5 ) adding the yeast growth nutrients ( growth medium ) to the yeast - organochromium mixture to form a yeast - growing mixture ; ( 6 ) incubating the yeast - growing mixture for sufficient time to allow for yeast growth ; ( 8 ) washing the isolated yeast cells to remove extracellular chromium ; and chromium in the form of a chromium complex is used in the present invention which may be derived from a commercially available source [ e . g ., chelavite ®, albion laboratories , inc . ], or may be made by the process generally described above . more specifically , a chromium complex may be made by combining one mole of water soluble chromium with at least one mole of nicotinate salt and at least one mole of an amino acid salt , e . g ., glycinate salts . in a preferred embodiment , chromium glycinate bisnicotinate may be used . chromium complexes from either source are made into an organochromium solution by dissolving the organochromium complex in distilled water . for example , the organochromium complex using chromium chelavite ® may be prepared by adding 3 . 0 g of chromium chelavite ® to 300 ml of distilled water at ambient temperature . the resulting organochromium solution mixture is then warmed to 40 - 60 ° c . and incubated for 1 hour . the ph of the cooled homogeneous solution is adjusted to about 4 . 2 . the organochromium complex used should be at levels between about 200 ppm and 30 , 000 ppm of the chromium complex , and preferably about 500 ppm to about 25 , 000 ppm of the chromium complex , and most preferably between about 7 , 500 ppm and about 20 , 000 ppm of the chromium complex . the organochromium solution is then filtered . in a preferred embodiment , a 0 . 4 micron cellulose acetate [ corning scientific , co .] is used . other filters may be used , and one of skill in the art could readily determine which filters would be appropriate for filtering the organochromium solution . the organochromium solution is then admixed with a live yeast culture to form a yeast - organochromium solution . the yeast culture employed in the present invention is preferably a food grade or edible yeast , and most preferably s . cerevisiae — commonly known as brewer &# 39 ; s yeast or baker &# 39 ; s yeast [ red star ] . other yeast strains which can be used include torula and s . uvarum . the present invention also can employ a newly isolated and purified strain of brewer &# 39 ; s yeast , saccharomyces cerevisiae , that yields dried yeast mass having an enriched content of the chromium ion of high biological activity . specifically , saccharomyces cerevisiae and saccharomyces boulardii sequela are of the same genus , and saccharomyces boulardii sequela is described as a synonym of saccharomyces cerevisiae . [ barnett et al ., yeasts : characteristics and identification , cambridge univ . press ( 1990 )]. more particularly , the novel yeast strain of saccharomyces boulardii sequela may be isolated from raw soil samples , and cultivated to yield quantities of yeast at a scale sufficient for developmental research and for production of commercial products . the novel strain of yeast of the invention , saccharomyces boulardii sequela py31 , has been deposited in an international repository in accord with the budapest treaty and has been assigned atcc no . 74 , 366 . the current address of the american type culture collection ( atcc ) is 10801 university blvd ., manassas , va . 20110 . this novel yeast strain is described in co - pending application serial no . 08 / 719 , 572 filed on september 25 , 1996 . specifically , the method for isolating this novel yeast strain , saccharomyces boulardii sequela py31 , comprises : ( 1 ) identifying a location for collection of a soil sample , which is proximal to a germanium mine ( i . e ., within 100 yards of a germanium mine ); ( 2 ) sampling the soil by removing about 200 g from a depth of 5 cm to 20 cm , and transporting the sample using a sterilized bag ; ( 3 ) growing the living material on three different mediums which support the growth of all yeast , and that selectively kills bacteria without killing the yeast ; ( 4 ) separating the yeast from other living matter and then repeating this process until yeast can be grown without bacterial contaminants ; ( 5 ) selecting and restreaking the yeast colonies , and repeating this process three times ; ( 6 ) selecting the yeast colonies most vital for growth in a medium enriched with germanium ; ( 7 ) growing each selected colony on malt extract agar or dextrose agar , and selecting which colonies appear most robust , and ; ( 8 ) cultivating the selected yeast by growing 1 - 2 slants of the yeast for about 2 days at about 30 ° c . and then transferring to the cultivated yeast about 100 ml of malt extract broth and then incubating at about 30 ° c . for 8 - 10 hours , then adding to the incubated mixture about 500 ml of malt extract broth and then growing the resulting mixture at about 30 ° c . for about 6 to about 14 hours . the present invention teaches a use of the novel yeast strain saccharomyces boulardii sequela py31 for preparing chromium - enriched yeast forms according to the method described herein . the yeast - organochromium solution is then incubated at a ph between about 3 . 8 to about 5 . 0 , and preferably between about 4 . 0 to about 4 . 3 . the incubation temperature may be from about 20 ° c . to about 35 ° c ., and preferably between about 280c and about 32 ° c . the length of incubation of the yeast - organochromium solution may be from about 5 minutes to about 100 minutes , preferably from about 20 to about 100 minutes , and most preferably about 90 minutes . this incubation step may optionally include gentle shaking at 200 rpm . after the yeast - organochromium solution ( i . e ., pre - growth ) is incubated , growth media is added to induce growth , resulting in a yeast - growing mixture . growth media that can be used in the present invention include 25 ° brix molasses [ tct , gold coast ] , 38 ° brix molasses [ tct , gold coast ], glucose media , and potato dextrose broth . numerous other growth media that are known to support the growth of yeast from the saccharomyces family may be used and could be readily selected by one of skill in the art . in addition , the growth media used in the invention may optionally include additional growth nutrients , including kcl , mgso 4 , and nh 4 h 2 po 4 . other growth nutrients may be used and could be readily selected by one of skill in the art . the yeast - growing mixture is then incubated for sufficient time to allow for yeast growth . this incubation step may optionally occur with gentle shaking at 200 rpm . the incubation lasts for at least 10 hours , preferably from between about 15 to about 60 hours , and most preferably between about 16 to about 20 hours . this incubation step occurs at a temperature of between about 25 ° c . and about 35 ° c ., and preferably at about 30 ° c . optionally , the growth medium may be autoclaved and cooled before addition of the yeast . the yeast - growing mixture is then centrifuged to yield isolated yeast cells . the centrifugation occurs at between about 2500 and about 4500 rpm for between about 5 to about 60 minutes . the isolated yeast cells are then washed several times to remove extracellular chromium . the initial wash material used in the present invention contains a buffer and a chelating agent . edta and na 2 hpo 4 are preferred components for the initial wash solution , and in a preferred embodiment , 0 . 1 m edta · 0 . 01 m na 2 hpo 4 . after the initial wash , the isolated yeast cells are washed four times with distilled water . thus , in a preferred embodiment , the isolated yeast cells are washed once with 0 . 1m edta · 0 . 01 m na 2 hpo 4 and four times with distilled water . the washed yeast cells are then pasteurized and dried in vacuo to yield a dried yeast product . the drying step may occur at about 100 ° c . the dried chromium - yeast complexes of the present invention have a high intracellular content of organically bound trivalent chromium in a form , or forms , which are highly biologically active and non - toxic . the amount of chromium in the dried yeast product may be measured by atomic absorption . to accomplish this measurement , 0 . 1 g of the dried yeast sample is transferred to a 50 ml volumetric flask . to the flask , 5 ml of concentrated hno 3 is added and left overnight at ambient temperature . the flask is then placed in a boiling water bath for four hours under a hood . after the flask is removed and its contents have cooled , distilled water is added in sufficient amount to fill the flask to its 50 ml volumetric line . the resultant solution is then filtered through # 2 whatman filter paper into a round bottom flask . next , 1 to 10 ml of the sample is measured for its chromium content using an atomic absorption spectrometer [ perkin elmer , 3100 ] set at a wavelength of 359 . 7 nm , a slit width of 0 . 7 nm , and a chromium lamp current at 25 ma . the present invention also relates to the use of the dried chromium - yeast products as dietary supplements . to prepare the yeast compositions of the invention for use as a dietary supplement , the dried yeast product is combined as the active ingredient in intimate admixture with a suitable carrier according to conventional compounding techniques . this carrier may take a wide variety of forms depending upon the form of preparation desired for administration , e . g ., oral , sublingual , nasal , or parenteral . in preparing the compositions in oral dosage form , any of the usual pharmaceutical media may be employed . for oral liquid preparations ( e . g ., suspensions , elixirs , and solutions ), media containing for example , water , oils , alcohols , flavoring agents , preservatives , coloring agents and the like may be used . carriers such as starches , sugars , diluents , granulating agents , lubricants , binders , disintegrating agents , and the like may be used to prepare oral solids ( e . g ., powders , capsules , pills , and tablets ). controlled release forms may also be used . because of their ease in administration , tablets , pills , and capsules represent advantageous oral dosage unit forms , in which cases solid pharmaceutical carriers are obviously employed . if desired , tablets may be sugar coated or enteric coated by standard techniques . for parenteral products the carrier will usually comprise sterile water , although other ingredients may be included , e . g ., to aid solubility or for preservation purposes . injectable suspensions may also be prepared , in which case appropriate liquid carriers , suspending agents , adjuvants , and the like may be employed . a composition of the present invention is generally effective when parenterally administered in amounts ranging from about 1 mg of dried yeast per dose ( 1 dose per body weight of about 75 kg ) to about 1000 mg / dose of composition . when orally administered , the compositions of the present invention are generally effective in approximately the same amounts as the parenteral products . activity at this level makes the compositions particularly well suited for formulations in tablet size for oral administration . the above dosage ranges are likely to be administered at varying periods for humans , for example , from daily administration to administration at least 5 times per week . however , ultimately , the dosage regimen will depend upon the particular needs of the user . a preferred dosage regimen for humans is 1 - 2 doses per day . the following examples are illustrative only and do not limit the invention in any fashion . a stock solution of chromium glycinate bisnicotinate was prepared as follows . to 300 ml of distilled water at ambient temperature was added 3 . 0 g of chromium glycinate bisnicotinate and the resulting mixture was warmed to 40 - 60 ° c . and incubated at that temperature for 1 hour . the solution was then cooled to 25 ° c ., and the ph of the cooled homogeneous solution was adjusted to 5 . 2 . the resultant solution was then filtered through a 0 . 45 micron cellulose acetate membrane [ corning scientific co .]. the growth medium was prepared as follows . about 670 g of 790 brix molasses [ tct , gold coast ] was diluted to 1 l with distilled water , followed by addition of 2 . 72 g of kcl , 2 . 72 g of mgso 4 , and 29 . 28 g of nh 4 h 2 po 4 . the resultant solution was stirred to homogeneity . to this solution was added a sufficient quantity of distilled water to reach a final volume of 2 l . the mixture was tested for sugar content by using a hydrometer — optimal sugar content being 25 ° brix content . the final ph was then adjusted to 3 . 5 to 5 . 0 . this growth medium was then autoclaved at 121 ° c . for 15 minutes to prepare for the addition of cultivated yeast . the yeast were cultivated as follows . to 250 ml of the stock chromium solution was added 2 . 5 g of brewer &# 39 ; s yeast [ red star ] and the resulting suspension was shaken for 40 minutes . next , 60 ml of the 25 ° brix molasses solution described above was added and the resulting mixture was shaken at 200 rpm for about 17 . 5 hours at 30 ° c . the resultant mixture was centrifuged at 3 , 900 rpm for 5 to 10 minutes , the supernatant was removed , and then the yeast cells were washed once with a solution of 100 ml of 0 . 1 m edta ( ph 6 . 5 ) and 0 . 01 m na 2 hpo 4 buffer solution , and then four times with 100 ml of distilled water . the resulting yeast cream was dried in vacuo at about 100 ° c . and then the chromium content of the yeast was measured using atomic absorption techniques described above . this example describes the results of experiments directed towards understanding the relationship between absorption time and yeast concentration . a stock solution and growth medium were prepared as described in example 1 . the yeast were cultivated in three separate experimental groups ( in three separate flasks ) as follows . to each flask , 250 ml of the stock chromium solution was added followed by the addition of 0 . 5 g or 1 . 0 g , or 1 . 5 g of brewer &# 39 ; s yeast [ red star ] in each respective flask . the resulting suspensions were shaken for 0 , 40 , or 90 minutes respectively . then , 60 ml of 25 ° brix molasses [ tct , gold coast ] solution was added to each of the three flasks and the resulting mixtures were shaken at 200 ppm for 24 hours at 30 ° c . these mixtures were centrifuged at 3 , 900 rpm for 10 minutes , the supernatants removed , then the yeast cells in each flask were washed successively once with 100 ml of 0 . 1 m edta · 0 . 01 m na 2 hpo 4 buffer solution ( ph 7 . 8 ), and then four times with 100 ml of distilled water . the resulting yeast cream from each flask was dried in vacuo and then the chromium content of the yeast was measured using atomic absorption techniques . the results are shown below in table 1 . this example describes the results of experiments directed towards understanding the relationship between the concentration of chromium ion in the growth media and final chromium concentration in the dried yeast product . the stock solution and growth medium were prepared as described in example 1 . the yeast were cultivated as follows . in five separate flasks containing 250 ml , 187 . 5 ml , 125 ml , 62 . 5 ml , or 25 ml of the stock chromium solution , 0 ml , 62 . 5 ml , 125 ml , 187 . 5 ml , or 225 ml of distilled water was added respectively . then , 2 . 5 g of brewer &# 39 ; s yeast [ red star ] was added to each flask and the resulting suspension was shaken for 40 minutes at 200 rpm . then 60 ml of 25 ° brix molasses [ tct , gold coast ] solution was added to each flask and the resulting mixtures were shaken at 200 rpm for 24 hours at 30 ° c . the mixtures were then centrifuged at 3 , 900 rpm for 10 minutes , the supernatant removed , then the yeast cells were successively washed once with 100 ml of 0 . 1 m edta · 0 . 01 m na 2 hpo 4 buffer solution ( ph 7 . 8 ), and four times with 100 ml of distilled water . the resulting yeast cream was dried in vacuo and then the chromium content of the yeast was measured using atomic absorption techniques . the results are shown below in table 2 . the stock solution and growth media were prepared as described in example 1 . to a 2 l beaker was added 160 ml of chromium chelavite ® solution [ albion laboratories , inc .] and 490 ml of distilled water . this organochromium solution was then filtered through a cellulose acetate filter . next , 150 ml of the yeast strain saccharomyces boulardii sequela py31 ( atcc no . 74 , 366 ) at a concentration of about 1 - 2 × 10 6 per ml was added . the resulting mixture was shaken at 200 rpm at ambient temperature for 90 minutes . then , 158 ml of 38 ° brix molasses solution was added and the resultant mixture was shaken at 200 rpm for 16 hours at 30 ° c . the mixture was then centrifuged at 3900 rpm for 10 minutes , the supernatant removed , and the yeast cells successively washed once with 100 ml of 0 . 1 m edta · 0 . 1 m na 2 hpo 4 buffer solution ( ph 7 . 8 ), and four times with 100 ml distilled water . the resulting yeast cream was dried in vacuo and the chromium content of the yeast was measured using atomic absorption techniques to yield a yeast material having a chromium content of 3537 ppm . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are included in the above - identified specification and are expected to be obvious to one of skill in the art . it is also intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of the dried yeast chromium compositions and method for using them to accomplish their claimed uses within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
the present invention solves the need for non - toxic forms of bioactive chromium which is an essential part of the human diet . this invention provides novel dried - yeast products containing chromium as well as a method of producing the dried yeast products . the method uses organochromium complexes comprised of trivalent chromium , nicotinate , and glycine having high glucose tolerance factor chromium activity . the invention also provides nutritional supplements containing the novel chromium - containing dried - yeast products and methods of administering these products and supplements to increase glucose uptake and insulin binding .