Abstract
Yeasts play an important role in the cocoa fermentation process. Although the most relevant function is the degradation of sugars and the production of ethanol, there is little understanding of the enzyme activities and attributes that allow them to survive even after drying. The present study explored the functional biodiversity of yeasts associated with Criollo Colombian cocoa fermented beans, able to survive after drying. Twelve species belonging to 10 genera of osmo-, acid-, thermo-, and desiccation-tolerant yeasts were isolated and identified from fermented and dry cocoa beans, with Pichia kudriavzevii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae standing out as the most frequent. For the first time, we reported the presence of Zygosaccharomyces bisporus in cocoa fermented beans. It was found that resistance to desiccation is related to the different degradation capacities of fermentation substrates, which suggests that associative relationships may exist between the different yeast species and their degradation products. Besides, the increased thermotolerance of some species was related to the presence of polyphenols in the medium, which might play a fundamental role in shaping the microbial community composition.
Highlights
Cocoa is one of the most important agricultural export commodities throughout the world, which forms the backbone of the economies of some countries in Latin America and Africa [1]
Twelve species belonging to 10 genera of osmo, acid, thermo, and desiccation-tolerant yeasts were isolated and identified from fermented and dry cocoa beans, with Pichia kudriavzevii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae standing out as the most frequent
Measurements of pH values, aw, moisture and viable yeast counts, were performed in samples of cocoa beans, fermented and sun dried in different localities of South West Colombia
Summary
Cocoa is one of the most important agricultural export commodities throughout the world, which forms the backbone of the economies of some countries in Latin America and Africa [1]. The objective of this experimental study was to explore the phenotypic biodiversity of yeasts microbiota associated with Criollo Colombian cocoa fermented beans, able to survive to the drying process. These findings should be immensely helpful to understand yeasts functions during spontaneous fermentation, considering that phenotypic diversity in cocoa yeasts populations could be exploited industrially [11]
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