The Fermentation of Orange and Black Currant Juices by the Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii

Abstract

Throughout history, the fermentation of fruit juices has served as a preservation method and has enhanced the retention of bioactive constituents crucial for human well-being. This study examined the possibility of orange and black currant juice fermentation with the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii. Saccharomyces bayanus was used as the reference. The ethanol concentration of the orange juices fermented without added glucose was close to 27 g/L. Adding glucose to the juice increased the alcohol produced by up to 65.58 ± 1.84 g/L (for the orange juice). For the same wort fermented by S. bayanus, the final ethanol concentration was 71.23 ± 1.62 g/L. Regardless of the type of yeast and additives used, the samples retained much of the color of the unfermented juice. The polyphenols content in the fermented samples was close to the initial polyphenols content in the juices. The sensory attributes of the juices fermented by the probiotic yeast did not differ from the samples fermented by S. bayanus. Fermenting fruit juices with probiotic yeasts offers a commercially viable and sensorially appealing method to enhance the product’s value by imparting it with probiotic properties.