Isolation of Indigenous Yeast Strains for Alcoholic Fermentation and Development of Pineapple-Incorporated Sugarcane-based Wine Beverage

The global wine industry has long been dominated by grape-based products, yet there is growing interest in the development of non-grape wines, driven by the need for novel, sustainable, and diverse alcoholic beverages. This study aimed to enhance the sensory attributes and quality of pineapple-sugarcane-based wine by isolating and evaluating native yeast strains. Yeast strains were isolated from organic sources, including toddy, mango, sugarcane tops, jaggery, and bakery yeast, and cultured on MYPG growth media (composed of malt extract, yeast extract, peptone, glucose, and agar). Alcohol production of strains was assessed in a molasses-based medium using an Ebulliometer. One-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD were used to analyze the alcohol yields. Toddy-isolated yeast strain yielded the highest alcohol concentration (10.2% ± 0.05), significantly surpassing other strains (p<0.001). The toddy-isolated yeast strain was selected for fermenting sugarcane juice and pineapple pulp blends in volume ratios of 60:40, 70:30, and 80:20. The blends were adjusted to 21° Brix and inoculated with approximately 5 × 10¹² CFU/mL. Fermentation was performed in 5.0 L batches, monitoring alcohol concentration, Brix, and yeast cell counts at 12-hour intervals. The composition of the blends had minimal influence on alcohol yield (P=0.71), sugar consumption (P=0.72), and yeast proliferation (P=0.97). Sensory analysis identified the 70:30 blend (T2) as the most preferred (p=0.05). Real degree of fermentation (RDF), volatile diacetyl (VDK) concentration, calorie value, and pH were 73.4%, 0.4716 ppm, 363.29 kJ/100 mL, and 4.05 respectively, indicating greater complexity. This study highlights the potential of toddy-isolated native yeast strains for developing novel pineapple-sugarcanebased wines, with treatment selection guided by yeast traits and desired product characteristics.