Growth Dynamics and Diversity of Yeasts during Spontaneous Plum Mash Fermentation of Different Varieties.

The influence of fruit varieties on yeast ecology during spontaneous plum mash fermentation was investigated. Yeast colonies were isolated from mashes obtained from four plum varieties throughout fermentation in laboratory conditions during two consecutive years. The yeast strains were differentiated by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) and identified by the 26S rDNA D1/D2 sequence analysis. , spp. and were the dominant yeasts during the early stages of plum mash fermentation, while the middle and end phases were dominated by . The strains of , , , and were also detected in fermenting plum mashes. sp. M1, H1 and H2 strains were detected in all samples, irrespective of the tested variety and year. Investigation of the impact of individual yeast strains on the production of volatile compounds showed the potential possibility of using them as starter cultures.