Developing biotechnological tools to ensure wine quality is a key issue. Among potential biotechnological tools, yeast derivatives (YDs) are attracting considerable interest. Currently, YDs available on the market are mainly those obtained from yeasts belonging to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genus. In contrast, there is limited information on YDs obtained from non-Saccharomyces yeasts. Significant differences have been shown among derivatives of thermally inactivated non-Saccharomyces yeasts in terms of protein, polysaccharides, lipids, and oxygen consumption. This study focused on YDs obtained from a Saccharomycodes ludwigii (SL) strain, whose cell wall is rich in polysaccharides, particularly mannoproteins. The effect of three different SL derivatives (SL-YDs) was evaluated in two Spanish white wines: Garnacha Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco. After the addition of the SL-YDs, analyses were carried out after 2 and 15 days of contact with the wine.
Treating both wines with SL-YDs resulted in a significant increase in polysaccharide concentration. However, the aromatic profile of the variety may have influenced the sensory analysis of the wines. Garnacha Blanca, which is less aromatic than Tempranillo Blanco, showed more pronounced sensory differences between treatments.
Further analyses are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of SL-YD polysaccharides on the overall quality of wines.