Yeast, a single cell fungus is one of the important processing aids in foods and beverages. The diversity of foods in which, yeasts predominate ranges from alcoholic beverages (wine, beer, whisky, etc.), cereal-based leavened products (sourdough, Kimchi, Tofu, idli, etc.), milk products (cheese, Curd, Yogurt), and condiments such as soy sauce and papas.
What is the process by which this tiny microbe can make super foods?
Fermentation: – Fermentation is a metabolic process that consumes sugar in the absence of oxygen to produce products like organic acids, gases, or alcohol. The science of fermentation is known as zymology. In microorganisms, fermentation is the primary means of producing ATP by the degradation of organic nutrients anaerobically. Fermentation is one of the oldest methods for preserving foods. It is becoming increasingly popular since the fermentation increases the nutritional value of foods and that consumers perceive it as natural and free of food additives.
What does a yeast cell need for successful Fermentation and Why?
Yeast nutrition is an essential factor in the overall health and success of fermentation. Managing nutrient requirements not only allows for regular and complete fermentation but enhances sensory quality.
Yeast nutrition is widely divided into three categories (Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and energy source) which includes different carbon sources, nitrogen sources, vitamins, trace elements, etc.
Figure 1.
Some important nutritional elements and their roles are listed below: –
Elements | Function |
Carbon | Contribute to organic cell material |
Nitrogen | A major part of proteins, nucleic acids, and coenzymes |
Oxygen | Electron acceptor in the respiration of aerobes |
Sodium | Principal extracellular cation |
Magnesium | Important divalent cellular cation, an inorganic cofactor for many enzymatic reactions, incl. those involving ATP; actions in binding enzymes to substrates |
Phosphorus | The constituent of phospholipids, coenzymes, and nucleic acids |
Sulphur | Act as building element for cysteine, cystine, methionine, and proteins as well as some coenzymes as CoA and carboxylase |
Chlorine | Principal intracellular and extracellular anion |
Potassium | Principal intracellular cation, the cofactor for some enzymes |
Calcium | Important cellular cation, the cofactor for enzymes as proteinases |
Manganese | Inorganic cofactor cation, the cofactor for enzymes as proteinases |
Iron | Constituent of cytochromes and other harm or non-herm proteins, cofactor for several enzymes |
Cobalt | The constituent of vitamin B and its coenzyme derivatives |
Zinc | Act as a cofactor for many enzymes and required for the structural stability of zinc finger proteins, many of which exert important controls on cellular metabolic processes |
Molybdenum | Inorganic constituents of special enzymes |
What Happens to the yeast due to less or non-availability of Nutrients?
The problems connected with development and nutrition are numerous and are very important. The requirement of nutrition in these small cells is not lesser than in animals and humans. The deficiency of a single nutrient during the growth phase of the cell may lead to the death of the cell and a huge economic loss to the industry. Some of the possibilities which may occur in lack of nutrients are listed below: –
Essentially all nutrients can limit the fermentation rate by being present in concentrations that are either too low or too high. At low concentrations, the growth rate is roughly proportional to concentration, but as the concentration increases, the growth rate rises rapidly to a maximum value, which is maintained until the nutrient concentration reaches an inhibitory level, at which point the growth rate begins to fall again and it is very important to keep a check on the availability of nutrient during the fermentation process to avoid any miss function and loss.
What Happens to yeast due to less or non-availability of Nutrients?
The problems connected with development and nutrition are numerous and are very important. The requirement of nutrition in these small cells are not lesser than in animals and humans. Deficiency of a single nutrient during the growth phase of the cell may lead to death of the cell and a huge economic loss to the industry. Some of the possibilities which may occur in lack of nutrients are listed below: –
Essentially all nutrients can limit the fermentation rate by being present in concentrations that are either too low or too high. At low concentrations, the growth rate is roughly proportional to concentration, but as the concentration increases, the growth rate rises rapidly to a maximum value, which is maintained until the nutrient concentration reaches an inhibitory level, at which point the growth rate begins to fall again and it is very important to keep a check on the availability of nutrient during the fermentation process to avoid any miss function and loss.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.