Evaluation of the Effect of Mango Pulp (Mangifera indica “Kent”) Addition and Its Pectinolytic Enzyme Treatment on Selected Physicochemical and Functional Properties of a Reduced-Alcohol Beer Produced with Safbrew La-01 Yeast

Low- and no-alcohol beers are gaining relevance in response to consumer demand for healthier fermented beverages, but incorporating fruit ingredients to enhance their functional value often compromises physicochemical stability. This study evaluated the effect of mango pulp (Mangifera indica “Kent”) addition, with and without pectinolytic enzyme treatment, on the physicochemical and functional properties of a reduced-alcohol beer produced with Saccharomyces cerevisiae SafBrew™ LA-01. Four treatments were developed: control beer (C1), beer with 15% mango pulp (C2), beer with 15% mango pulp and 0.15% pectinolytic enzyme (C3), and a control beer diluted to 85% used as a dilution control (C4). Total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity (ABTS, ORAC, and FRAP), alcohol content (HPLC), turbidity, and dietary fiber were determined in triplicate and analyzed by one-way Welch ANOVA (p < 0.05) with Tukey post hoc comparisons and Pearson correlation analysis. Mango pulp addition significantly increased dietary fiber and turbidity, whereas total polyphenols showed only a non-significant increasing trend (p = 0.052). The antioxidant response was method-dependent: ABTS and ORAC showed no significant differences among fruit-containing treatments, whereas FRAP increased significantly in the enzyme-treated sample, suggesting enhanced release. The intended alcohol-free target (≤0.5% v/v) was not achieved, as ethanol content ranged from 1.31 to 1.60% v/v; the product is therefore described as a reduced-alcohol beer.