Impact of autochthonous non-conventional Hanseniaspora valbyensis on fermentation and quality of pomegranate cider-like beverage

• Hanseniaspora valbyensis grew faster than Saccharomyces cerevisiae in pomegranate. • Filtrated matured PCB harbored less yeasts than centrifugated PCB. • Cu, Zn, Fe and Ni decreased after PCB clarification and maturation. • H. valbyensis produced higher concentration of acetic acid than S. cerevisiae . • VOCs profile of H. valbyensis PCB was more complex than S. cerevisiae PCB. This study aimed to assess the differences, in terms of physico-chemical characteristics, antioxidant properties and flavour profile, among four pomegranate cider-like beverages (PCBs), produced starting from two pomegranate juices, fermented by either commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae or a non-conventional, autochthonous strain of Hanseniaspora valbyensis . Although both starters were able to drive the fermentation of pomegranate juices, H. valbyensis reached higher cell densities four days earlier than S. cerevisiae . After fermentation, PCBs were subjected or not to a clarification treatment (centrifugation or filtration) and matured for additional seven days. In the mature PCB, filtration caused a stronger decrease in yeast cell density compared to centrifugation. As for elemental composition, K and Ca increased during fermentation, whereas Fe and Cu decreased. A strong reduction of Cu, Zn and, in several cases, also of Fe and Ni was observed in clarified mature PCBs. The use of H. valbyensis led to a more rapid consumption of monosaccharides, higher acetic acid and lower ethanol concentrations compared to S. cerevisiae . The final profile of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was reached after three or seven days of fermentation with autochthonous or commercial yeast, respectively. After maturation, PCBs obtained with H. valbyensis kept more complex VOCs profile, compared to S. cerevisiae . The panel test on centrifuged PCBs did not result in any significant difference. The antioxidant activity of PCBs was always high and not affected by fermentation, type of starter, and maturation. This study paves the way for better understanding fermentation capability and impact of H. valbyensis on food quality.