The production of aromatic alcohols in non-Saccharomyces wine yeast is modulated by nutrient availability

• Published in: Food microbiology Vol. 74; pp. 64 - 74
• Main Authors: González, Beatriz, Vázquez, Jennifer, Morcillo-Parra, M. Ángeles, Mas, Albert, Torija, María Jesús, Beltran, Gemma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2018
• Subjects: Alcoholic fermentation; Alcohols - analysis; Alcohols - chemistry; Alcohols - metabolism; Amino Acids, Aromatic - metabolism; Erhlich pathway; Fermentation; Food; Glucose - metabolism; Indoles - metabolism; Metschnikowia - growth & development; Metschnikowia - metabolism; Nitrogen - metabolism; Phenylethanol; Phenylethyl Alcohol - analogs & derivatives; Phenylethyl Alcohol - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomycetales - growth & development; Saccharomycetales - metabolism; Sugars - metabolism; Torulaspora - growth & development; Torulaspora - metabolism; Tryptophol; Tyrosol; Wine - analysis; Wine - microbiology; Yeasts - metabolism; Tryptophol; Erhlich pathway; Phenylethanol; Alcoholic fermentation; Tyrosol
• ISSN: 0740-0020; 1095-9998
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.03.003

Aromatic alcohols (tryptophol, phenylethanol, tyrosol) positively contribute to organoleptic characteristics of wines, and are also described as bioactive compounds and quorum sensing molecules. These alcohols are produced by yeast during alcoholic fermentation via the Erhlich pathway, although in non-Saccharomyces this production has been poorly studied. We studied how different wine yeast species modulate the synthesis patterns of aromatic alcohol production depending on glucose, nitrogen and aromatic amino acid availability. Nitrogen limitation strongly promoted the production of aromatic alcohols in all strains, whereas low glucose generally inhibited it. Increased aromatic amino acid concentrations stimulated the production of aromatic alcohols in all of the strains and conditions tested. Thus, there was a clear association between the nutrient conditions and production of aromatic alcohols in most of the wine yeast species analysed. Additionally, the synthesis pattern of these alcohols has been evaluated for the first time in Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Starmellera bacillaris.
•S. cerevisiae produces higher levels of aromatic alcohols than Non-Saccharomyces.•T. delbrueckii and M. pulcherrima are able to synthesize the three aromatic alcohols.•Nitrogen and sugar limitation modulate aromatic alcohol synthesis during fermentation.•Intracellular content of aromatic alcohols is linked to the yeast growth phases.