Effect of some vitamins and micronutrient deficiencies on the production of higher alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

A study was carried out in order to determine the effect of vitamins (biotin, thiamine, pantotheniic acid and pyridoxal) and micronutrient (zinc, boron, manganese and iron) deficiencies on higher alcohol production during alcoholic fermentation with the industrially used yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae M-300-A. Zinc deficiency induced a reduction on the levels of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols. An increase on isobutyl alcohol (fivefold) and a reduction of isoamyl alcohol (two fold) and n-propyl alcohol (three fold) contents resulted from pantotheiiic acid deficiency, whereas pyridoxal deficiency caused an increase on the levels of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols. Biotin was not essential for the growth of this strain.