Nutritional- and flavor-enhancing effects of biomass production by Rhodotorula spp. on cantaloupe juice

Abstract

To investigate the feasibility of applying Rhodotorula spp. production of biomass in juice to enhance juices’ nutrient and flavor properties of juices. In this study, six strains of Rhodotorula spp. were selected to be inoculated into eight fruit juices, and according to their physicochemical properties and carotenoid production, cantaloupe juice was selected as the juice for the subsequent study. The carotenoid composition and content, fatty acid composition and content, volatile substances, and sensory qualities of cantaloupe juice inoculated with the six Rhodotorula spp strains were determined. The results showed that the carotenoid content of cantaloupe juice inoculated with Rhodotorula alborubescrns H7 increased the most from 13.07 mg/L to 29.78 mg/L, which enhanced the nutrition of cantaloupe juice. The crude fat content of cantaloupe juice inoculated with strain Rhodotorula paludigena H12 was the highest at 5.80 g/L. The types and total amounts of many volatile alcohols, acids and lipids also increased, while most aldehydes decreased. Among the tested strains, the best sensory evaluation was obtained with Rhodotorula alborubescrns H7 and H8, which may be the most suitable for commercial production.