Design of potential probiotic yeast starters tailored for making a cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) functional beverage

Abstract We carried out a step-by-step accurate procedure to design yeast starters with probiotic and technological traits to ferment cornelian cherry fruits puree (CP). Pichia kudriavzevii DCNa1 and Wickerhamomyces subpelliculosus DFNb6 were selected as binary starters due to their metabolic traits and low ethanol yield. Fermentation by selected starters positively affected the physical stability and antioxidant activity of CP. Depletion of loganic and cornuside acids during CP fermentation, leads us to speculate that yeasts might be involved in the conversion of iridoids to bioactive derivatives. Compared to unfermented CP, fermentation also affected the profile of CP volatiles, resulting in higher amount of alcohols and esters, and lower levels of aldehydes and alkanes. Viable cell number of selected yeasts in CP after 21 days of storage at 4 °C as well as after in vitro simulated digestion remained above the minimum dose recommended for a probiotic beverage. Under the in vitro gastrointestinal batch simulating the digestion process, we provided original evidence about the ability of yeasts conveyed by fermented CP to modulate the intestinal microbiota. We also faced some issues related to the yeasts physiology addressed to the link between biofilm and cell viability that still deserve to be more in depth investigated.