The study was conducted to isolate and screen yeast strains having good fermentative activities for wine production from guava (Psidium guajava L.). Yeasts were isolated from 22 samples of ripe guava fruits (including 4 varieties: Cattley, Taiwan, Ruby Supreme and Queen), which were collected from 6 provinces in the Mekong Delta. The yeast isolates were examined for biological characteristics, including colonial morphology and cell shape, after 48 h of culture, and investigated for fermentative characteristics including production of H2S gas, temperature and ethanol tolerance, ability to flocculate, production of extracellular enzymes, and fermentation of carbohydrate sources. The results showed that 33 yeast strains were isolated based on colony and cell morphologies. There were 9 isolates from the Taiwan variety, 13 isolates from the Queen variety, 7 isolates from the Cattley variety, and 4 isolates from Ruby supreme. Ten out of 33 isolates did not produce H₂S gas and had good flocculent ability in the fermentative solution after 7 days. Among them, the five yeast isolates (named NHCB1, NHCL4, NHCB4, DLCL1, and NHCB2) had good temperature tolerance at 39°C - 43°C, and high ethanol tolerance at 6% - 8% within 24 h. Three isolates (NHCL4, NHCB2, and NHCB4) with good ability to ferment glucose and fructose were selected for sequencing. The internal transcribed spacer sequences of all three strains were identical to those of Hanseniaspora opuntiae (> 99% identity). Briefly, this yeast strain can tolerate ethanol, ferment, and produce an appealing smell, bringing the potential for the production of wine or other fermented products.
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