Gemma Beltran

Effects of fermentation temperature and Saccharomyces species on the cell fatty acid composition and presence of volatile compounds in wine

Low temperature alcoholic fermentations are becoming more frequent due to the wish to produce wines with more pronounced aromatic profiles. However, their biggest drawback is the high risk of stuck and sluggish fermentations. Changes in the plasma membrane composition may be an adaptive response to low temperature fermentations. The production of volatile compounds and the changes in the membrane fatty acids were determined by GC to show the degree of cell adaptation and performance at low temperatures (13 degrees C) taking 25 degrees C as reference. The tests were done in two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and one strain of Saccharomyces bayanus. Low temperatures restricted yeast growth and lengthened the fermentations. The analysis of plasma membrane fatty acids showed that dry yeasts had similar levels of unsaturation, between 70% and 80%, with no medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). Long-chain saturated fatty acids (SFA) were the most frequent membrane fatty acids throughout the fermentations. Lipid composition changed with the growth temperature. The optimal membrane fluidity at low temperatures was modulated by changes in the unsaturation degree in S. cerevisiae strains. In S. bayanus, however, this change in the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) percentage was not observed at different growth temperatures but the concentration of MCFA at low fermentation temperatures was higher. Concentrations of volatile compounds were higher in wines produced at lower temperatures and depended on the strain.

Analysis of yeast populations during alcoholic fermentation: A six year follow-up study

Wine yeasts were isolated from fermenting Garnatxa and Xarel.lo musts fermented in a newly built and operated winery between 1995 and 2000. The species of non-Saccharomyces yeasts and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were identified by ribosomal DNA and mitochondrial DNA RFLP analysis respectively. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts, particularly Hanseniaspora uvarum and Candida stellata, dominated the first stages of fermentation. However Saccharomyces cerevisiae was present at the beginning of the fermentation and was the main yeast in the musts in one vintage (1999). In all the cases, S. cerevisiae took over the process in the middle and final stages of fermentation. The analysis of the S. cerevisiae strains showed that indigenous strains competed with commercial strains inoculated in other fermentation tanks of the cellar. The continuous use of commercial yeasts reduced the diversity and importance of the indigenous S. cerevisiae strains.

Effect of the nitrogen source on the fatty acid composition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The source and content of nitrogen in the medium are very important in the development of alcoholic fermentations since they both affect the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, the composition of the growth medium and the environmental conditions are known to affect the cell membrane fatty acid composition. The aim of this work was to study how the nitrogen source affects the membrane fatty acid composition. A mixture of amino acids and ammonia delayed the yeast growth when a high content of yeast assimilable nitrogen was present in the media. Cells grown in the mixed nitrogen source had a lower content of total fatty acids with a higher unsaturation degree than cells grown on sole ammonia.

Changes in wine yeast storage carbohydrate levels during preadaptation, rehydration and low temperature fermentations.

The metabolism of glycogen and trehalose was analysed in a wine yeast strain fermenting at 25 and 13 degrees C. Trehalose and glycogen degradation were completed during the lag phase of fermentation. Ammonia was taken up rapidly and once it had been reduced to negligible amounts, the synthesis of trehalose started. Glycogen followed a similar pattern. If trehalose synthesis was taken as a stress indicator, the fermentation at 13 degrees C could not be considered stressful because the maximum concentrations are similar at both temperatures. In industrial fermentations, and after a preadaptation in grape must for several hours at 18 degrees C, the lag phase was reduced significantly, and this may be why trehalose and glycogen were completely depleted at the beginning of the low temperature fermentation. Various preadaptation conditions were tested so that their influence on trehalose and glycogen degradation could be determined. The presence of fermentable carbon sources, such as glucose or fructose, triggered the mobilisation and use of trehalose. However, just increasing the osmotic pressure did not reduce the trehalose content. No such differences were observed in glycogen metabolism.

Bioactive Compounds Derived from the Yeast Metabolism of Aromatic Amino Acids during Alcoholic Fermentation

Metabolites resulting from nitrogen metabolism in yeast are currently found in some fermented beverages such as wine and beer. Their study has recently attracted the attention of researchers. Some metabolites derived from aromatic amino acids are bioactive compounds that can behave as hormones or even mimic their role in humans and may also act as regulators in yeast. Although the metabolic pathways for their formation are well known, the physiological significance is still far from being understood. The understanding of this relevance will be a key element in managing the production of these compounds under controlled conditions, to offer fermented food with specific enrichment in these compounds or even to use the yeast as nutritional complements.

Contribution of yeast and base wine supplementation to sparkling wine composition.

BACKGROUNDnThe differential characteristic of sparkling wine is the formation of foam, which is dependent, among other factors, on yeast autolysis, aging and oenological practices. In this study, we analyzed the effects of yeast strain, nutrient supplementation to the base wine and aging process on the sparkling wine composition and its foamability.nnnRESULTSnWe determined that the addition of inorganic nitrogen promoted nitrogen liberation to the extracellular medium, while the addition of inactive dry yeast to the base wine caused an increase in the polysaccharide concentration and foaming properties of the sparkling wine. The use of synthetic and natural base wines allowed us to discriminate that the differences in high-molecular-weight polysaccharides and oligosaccharides could be attributed to the yeast cells and that the higher nitrogen content in the natural wine could be due to external proteolysis.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe practices of nitrogen addition and supplementation of inactive dry yeast could modulate the main characteristics of the sparkling wine and be a critical element for the design of this kind of wine.

Aromatic Amino Acid-Derived Compounds Induce Morphological Changes and Modulate the Cell Growth of Wine Yeast Species

Yeasts secrete a large diversity of compounds during alcoholic fermentation, which affect growth rates and developmental processes, like filamentous growth. Several compounds are produced during aromatic amino acid metabolism, including aromatic alcohols, serotonin, melatonin, and tryptamine. We evaluated the effects of these compounds on growth parameters in 16 different wine yeasts, including non-Saccharomyces wine strains, for which the effects of these compounds have not been well-defined. Serotonin, tryptamine, and tryptophol negatively influenced yeast growth, whereas phenylethanol and tyrosol specifically affected non-Saccharomyces strains. The effects of the aromatic alcohols were observed at concentrations commonly found in wines, suggesting a possible role in microbial interaction during wine fermentation. Additionally, we demonstrated that aromatic alcohols and ethanol are able to affect invasive and pseudohyphal growth in a manner dependent on nutrient availability. Some of these compounds showed strain-specific effects. These findings add to the understanding of the fermentation process and illustrate the diversity of metabolic communication that may occur among related species during metabolic processes.