Survival and fermentation ability of indigenous yeast isolates in Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) juice

Four indigenous yeast isolates, viz., Sc01, Sc02, Sc03 and Sc04 belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used in the present study in immobilized form by using calcium alginate as a carrier. The alcoholic fermentative ability of these four yeast isolates in their free and immobilized state was tested to identify most efficient isolate of yeast for fermentation of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides spp. turkestanica) juice in its natural and amended form. The chemical evaluation of fermented product was done on the basis of total titrable acidity, pH, residual total soluble solids and amount of ethanol produced. on the basis of ethanol production, Sc02 was found to be the most effective isolate in fermentation of seabuckthorn juice in its free as well as immobilized form among all the yeast isolates. The highest ethanol content of 10.46 per cent (v/v) was produced by Sc02 immobilized yeast cells by fermentation of amended seabuckthorn juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1 at pH 3.5 and total soluble solids of 20°B. Sc04 produced minimum amount of ethanol with free or immobilized cells.