The effect of citric acid and pH on growth and metabolism of anaerobic Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces bailii cultures

The effects of citric acid at pH values of 3.0, 4.0, and 4.5 on growth and metabolism of anaerobic Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces bailii cultures were investigated. S. cerevisiae and Z. bailii exhibited similar tolerances to citric acid, as determined by growth measurements, at all three pH values investigated. The citric-acid-induced growth inhibition of both yeast species increased with increasing pH values, indicating that the antimicrobial mechanism of citric acid differs from that of classical weak-acid preservatives. In S. cerevisiae, citric acid shifted the primary energy metabolism towards lower ethanol production and higher glycerol production, thus resulting in lower ATP production. These metabolic changes in S. cerevisiae were pH-dependent; i.e. the higher the pH, the lower the ATP production, and they may explain why growth of S. cerevisiae is more inhibited by citric acid at higher pH values. In Z. bailii, citric acid also caused an increased glycerol production, although to a lesser extent than in S. cerevisiae, but it caused virtually no changes in ethanol and ATP production.