Adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetric (AdCSV) studies of gold(III) on a glassy carbon electrode and in the presence of yeast mannan are reported. These studies give evidence of the formation of a complex between gold(III) and mannan in acid media as judged by the enhancement in the AdCSV currents and shift in the reduction peak of gold(III) in the presence of mannan. The AdCSV currents were linearly dependent on gold(III) concentrations ranging from 7.0 x 10(-7) to 3.0 x 10(-4) mol dm(-3). A detection limit of 6.0 x 10(-8) mol dm(-3) was obtained, interferences of copper(II) were observed in the presence of mannan, but there was no significant interference of silver(I). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.