Aroma diversification and formation of bioactive tyrosol and tryptophol acetates by the yeast Hanseniaspora vineae during cider fermentation

Introduction The fermentative performance and sensory impact of ten native Hanseniaspora vineae strains isolated from Uruguayan vineyards were evaluated for cider production. Methods Strain selection was conducted through microfermentation trials in apple juice, leading to the selection of two strains based on complete sugar consumption and the absence of sensory defects. These strains were subsequently evaluated at pilot scale and compared with a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Chemical characterization of the flavor metabolome of the resulting ciders was performed using GC–MS and HPLC, together with sensory analysis based on CATA methodology. Results Ciders fermented with the selected H. vineae strains showed a significantly enhanced production of volatile aroma compounds, particularly acetate esters derived from aromatic higher alcohols, compared to the commercial control. Notably, tyrosol and tryptophol acetates—compounds recently reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory bioactivity in animal models—were exclusively detected in ciders fermented with H. vineae , highlighting a distinctive metabolic trait of this non- Saccharomyces species. Sensory analysis associated H. vineae fermentations with fruity and citrus descriptors, consistent with their differentiated volatile profiles. Conclusion This study demonstrates that native Hanseniaspora vineae strains diversify cider aroma and promote the formation of bioactive acetate esters, supporting their use as functional non Saccharomyces starters in cider fermentation. These esters are not produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae under comparable conditions and, to our knowledge, are reported here in ciders for the first time.