Identification of non-Saccharomyces yeast strains isolated from local traditional sorghum beer produced in Abidjan district (Cote d'Ivoire) and their ability to carry out alcoholic fermentation

Studies on yeasts involved in traditional sorghum beer fermentation in several African countries revealed the presence of two groups: Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces. If Saccharomyces strains were reputed for their fermentation performances, the non-Saccharomyces yeast strains have been recognized for their contribution towards the improvement of the beverage's organoleptic quality, justifying their use as aromatic starter. In spite of this contribution, most studies were focused only on Saccharomyces strains as starter. In this work, the non-Saccharomyces yeast strains found in the inoculum of traditional sorghum beer was investigated. Identification of non-Saccharomyces yeast strains by PCR-RLFP followed sequencing of D1/D2 domain revealed the presence of 2 species: Issatckenkia orientalis and Pichia kudriavzevii with Issatckenkia orientalis predominating. Out of the two species, fermentation characteristics showed that Issatckenkia orientalis seemed suitable for sorghum beer production.