Targeted 1−H-NMR wine analyses revealed specific metabolomic signatures of yeast populations belonging to the Saccharomyces genus

• Published in: Food microbiology Vol. 120; p. 104463
• Main Authors: Vion, Charlotte, Le Mao, Ines, Yeramian, Nadine, Muro, Maïtena, Bernard, Margaux, Da Costa, Grégory, Richard, Tristan, Marullo, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2024
• Subjects: 1H NMR; Fermenting yeast; Flor and wine yeast strain; Malic acid; Wine metabolome; Wine metabolome; 1H NMR; Malic acid; Flor and wine yeast strain; Fermenting yeast; H NMR
• ISSN: 0740-0020; 1095-9998
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104463

This study aimed to explore the non-volatile metabolomic variability of a large panel of strains (44) belonging to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum species in the context of the wine alcoholic fermentation. For the S. cerevisiae strains flor, fruit and wine strains isolated from different anthropic niches were compared. This phenotypic survey was achieved with a special focus on acidity management by using natural grape juices showing opposite level of acidity. A 1H NMR based metabolomics approach was developed for quantifying fifteen wine metabolites that showed important quantitative variability within the strains. Thanks to the robustness of the assay and the low amount of sample required, this tool is relevant for the analysis of the metabolomic profile of numerous wines. The S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum species displayed significant differences for malic, succinic, and pyruvic acids, as well as for glycerol and 2,3-butanediol production. As expected, S. uvarum showed weaker fermentation fitness but interesting acidifying properties. The three groups of S. cerevisiae strains showed different metabolic profiles mostly related to their production and consumption of organic acids. More specifically, flor yeast consumed more malic acid and produced more acetic acid than the other S. cerevisiae strains which was never reported before. These features might be linked to the ability of flor yeasts to shift their metabolism during wine oxidation.
•Use of a 1H NMR metabolomics method for exploring the phenotypic diversity of Saccharomyces strains in enology.•Wine metabolome is partially impacted by the population origin of the strains.•S. uvarum shows higher organic acid production and lower fitness than S. cerevisiae.•Flor and wine yeasts show different metabolic profiles for organic acids.