[P004] Poster

1:00 PM - 1:50 PM JST(4:00 AM - 4:50 AM UTC)

[P02-182] Comparison of Fermentation Characteristics of Makgeolli Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts Isolated from Nuruk

○Chan-Woo Kim¹, Jieun Kim¹, Jinju Park¹, So-Young Kim¹ (1. National Institute of Crop and Food Science (Korea))

Keywords:

Makgeolli,Wickerhamomyces anomalus,Kluyveromyces marxianus,Fermentation characteristics

Yeast plays a key role in shaping the flavor properties of fermented foods such as makgeolli, and non-Saccharomyces yeasts have gained attention for their potential to enhance aroma complexity. In this study, selected yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae YM45, Wickerhamomyces anomalus CP-2, and Kluyveromyces marxianus KJ-L) with desirable aroma-producing capabilities were screened based on metabolite profiles and applied to makgeolli fermentation to evaluate their fermentation characteristics. During fermentation, S. cerevisiae YM45 exhibited the highest fermentative activity, reaching a final ethanol concentration of up to 14.6%, whereas W. anomalus CP-2 and K. marxianus KJ-L produced 12.4-12.5% ethanol. The ethanol production rate of S. cerevisiae YM45 was also approximately 6–7 times higher than those of the other strains. Volatile compound analysis revealed distinct differences in aroma profiles among the strains. In particular, acetate esters such as isoamyl acetate and phenylethyl acetate were produced at significantly higher levels (at least threefold), contributing desirable fruity and floral notes and enhancing overall aroma complexity. Because nuruk, the traditional fermentation starter, contains a diverse microbial community, microbial dynamics during fermentation were investigated. Amplicon sequencing analysis showed that S. cerevisiae YM45 rapidly became dominant as fermentation progressed, resulting in reduced microbial diversity. In contrast, fermentations with non-Saccharomyces yeasts maintained higher microbial complexity throughout fermentation. Such differences may be attributed to strain-dependent ethanol production, which likely shaped microbial succession through differences in microbial ethanol tolerance, thereby affecting the quality characteristics of makgeolli. These findings suggest that yeast selection based on aroma-related characteristics can be an effective approach for diversifying flavor profiles and may be applicable to a broader range of fermented foods.