Two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (PE-2 and VR-1) were subjected to fermentation of its carbohidrate reserve (Trehalose and glycogen) at 40oC. During a 24 hours interval samples were collected for determination of ethanol, yeast and wine nitrogen, yeast trehalose, glycogen and cell viability. Trehalose was completely exhausted after 24 hours. Glycogen was not completely consumed, but probably contributes for ethanol formation. As trehalose is consumed yeast cell viability decreases, while yeast nitrogen content increase, reaching a maximum between 6 and 8 hours, depending on the yeast strain. If yeast is maintained under prolonged stressing conditions, cell autolysis occurs and nitrogen is lost to the medium, increasing from 200 to 1500mg/L. Such endogenous fermentation allows a production of 40 to 68L of ethanol per ton of dry yeast, with yeast nitrogen increasing of 25 and 27% for PE-2 and VR-1, respectively.
fermentation; trehalose; glycogen; ethanol; protein; Saccharomyces cerevisiae
