Effect of fusel oil addition on volatile compounds in papaya wine fermented with Williopsis saturnus var. mrakii NCYC 2251

The impact of fusel oil addition on volatile compounds formation in papaya wine fermented with yeast Williopsis saturnus var. mrakii NCYC2251 was studied with a view to enhancing papaya wine aroma production. Time-course papaya juice fermentations were carried out using W. saturnus var. mrakii NCYC2251 with fusel oil added (0, 0.1 and 0.5% v/v). Fermentation characteristics in terms of yeast growth, Brix and pH changes were similar for all fermentations except for those added with 0.5% (v/v) fusel oil. The addition of 0.5% (v/v) fusel oil inhibited yeast growth. A wide range of volatile compounds were produced during fermentation including acids, alcohols, esters and aldehydes with esters being the most abundant volatile compounds produced. The addition of 0.1% (v/v) fusel oil reduced the production of undesirable volatiles such as ethyl acetate and acetic acid, while increasing the desirable volatiles production such as ethanol and acetate esters. This study suggests that papaya juice fermentation with W. saturnus var mrakii NCYC 2251 together with a low concentration of added fusel oil can be another means of modulating papaya wine aroma compound formation.