Effect of co-fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii or Metschnikowia pulcherrima on the aroma and sensory properties of mango wine

The effect of pure and mixed culture fermentations by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Metschnikowia pulcherrima or Torulaspora delbrueckii on physicochemical and sensory qualities of the mango wines were investigated under laboratory conditions. S. cerevisiae produced alcohol at 11.9% from sugar, while one M. pulcherrima and two T. delbrueckii strains (NCIM and IIHR) produced alcohol at 3.8, 7.2 and 6.9% (v/v) in their mono-cultures, respectively. However, in their co-fermentation, they produced similar alcohol content to that of S. cerevisiae mono-culture: 11.04, 11.53, 11.35% (v/v) for S. cerevisiae + M. pulcherrima and S. cerevisiae + T. delbrueckii strains (NCIM and IIHR), respectively. The formation of major volatile compounds in mango wine was assessed by gas chromatography and the analysis showed that the wines from mixed cultures presented differences in the concentration of volatiles. Further, the wines produced by co-fermentation indicated that these non-Saccharomyces strains could be used with S. cerevisiae starter cultures to increase glycerol ranging from 5.4 to 7.6 and to reduce volatile acidity from 1.28 to 0.18 as well as the total acidity from 5.5 to 3.8 (g/l) of the final wines. These characteristics positively influenced the sensory qualities of the wines produced with mixed cultures, which was reflected in the preferences of these wines by panelists. The results emphasized the potential of employing indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeast strains for the production of mango wines with improved flavor.