Increase of medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester content in mixed H. uvarum/S. cerevisiae fermentation leads to wine fruity aroma enhancement

• Published in: Food chemistry 2018-01, Vol.239, p.495-501
• Main Authors: Hu, Kai, Jin, Guo-Jie, Mei, Wen-Chao, Li, Ting, Tao, Yong-Sheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fatty Acids; Fermentation; Flavoring Agents; Fruity aroma; Hanseniaspora; Hanseniaspora uvarum; Humans; Medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester; Mixed fermentation; Partial least-squares regression (PLSR); Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Wine
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.06.151

•Medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) ethyl ester content could be significantly increased by mixed fermentation.•The increased MCFA ethyl esters enhanced temperate fruity aroma of wine.•The increase of MCFA ethyl esters benefited from the increased production of MCFAs. Medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) ethyl esters, as yeast secondary metabolites, significantly contribute to the fruity aroma of foods and beverages. To improve the MCFA ethyl ester content of wine, mixed fermentations with Hanseniaspora uvarum Yun268 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were performed. Final volatiles were analyzed by gas solid phase microextraction-chromatography-mass spectrometry, and aroma characteristics were quantitated by sensory analysis. Results showed that mixed fermentation increased MCFA ethyl ester content by 37% in Cabernet Gernischt wine compared to that obtained by pure fermentation. Partial least-squares regression analysis further revealed that the improved MCFA ethyl esters specifically enhanced the temperate fruity aroma of wine. The enhancement of MCFA ethyl esters was attributed to the increased contents of MCFAs that could be induced by the presence of H. uvarum Yun268 in mixed fermentation. Meanwhile, the timing of yeast inoculations significantly affected the involving biomass of each strain and the dynamics of ethanol accumulation.