Wine production using high nutritious value fruits as substrates

Abstract

Aim: The study was aimed to understand the correlation between the production of ethanol with carbohydrate utilization using various combinations of high nutritious substrates such as West Indian cherry, strawberry, grape, amla, and honey. Materials and Methods: High nutritious tropical fruits were selected as substrates and were taken in different combinations based on available sugar content. Individual combinations were allowed to ferment in a laboratory scale fermenter in presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (aerobic fermentation followed by anaerobic phase). On completion of fermentation, the wine samples were filtered, pasteurized and were analyzed for ethanol content using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Further, the antibacterial activity of the produced wine samples was assayed against human pathogen Escherichia coli. Results and Discussion: Among the tested combinations, Combination 1 (grape, West Indian cherry, and honey) was found to produce 16% of ethanol which is appropriate for wine production at industrial scale. The study depicts that production of ethanol is directly proportional to the rate of fermentation, similarly, the combination one was very effective in producing ethanol. In contrast, the other combinations were also found to produce significant concentrations of ethanol and showed antibacterial activity. Conclusion: We conclude that the combination of fruits like grape and West Indian cherry supplemented with honey can be employed in developing a high nutritious and healthy beverage.