Effect of the inoculation strategies of selected Metschnikowia agaves and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the volatile profile of pineapple wine in mixed fermentation

To investigate the effects of inoculation ratio, concentration, and sequence of selected Metschnikowia agaves P3-3 and commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae D254 on the volatiles of pineapple wine in mixed fermentation, the growth and fermentation ability of two yeast strains were monitored, and the physicochemical characteristics (including reducing sugar, total acidity, volatile acidity, and ethanol content) and volatile profile of pineapple wines produced by different inoculation strategies were analysed using chemical method and headspace-solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GCMS), respectively. Results indicate that although the proliferation of M. agaves P3-3 was repressed by S. cerevisiae D254, changes in inoculation methods influenced yeast-yeast interactions and modulated the physicochemical properties and volatile profile of pineapple wine. Inoculation sequence and concentration of two strains were more important to volatile profile of pineapple wine than inoculation ratio. Simultaneous inoculations with 1 x 10(7) CFU/mL M. agaves P3-3 and sequential inoculations increased the total acidity level, but their volatile acidity was lower than that with 5 x 10(6) CFU/mL M. agaves P3-3. Simultaneous inoculations with 5 x 10(6) CFU/mL M. agaves P3-3 retained more types of variety volatiles. However, the appropriate increase in the inoculation concentration of the cells and sequential inoculation increased the fermentative volatiles, especially ester levels.