Fermentation kinetics, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activity of Fuji apple cider fermented with...

This study compared the fermentation kinetics, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and sensory profiles of Fuji apple cider fermented with five commercial yeast strains: Fermol blanc, RC212, Zymaflora F15, La Raffinee, and Koya FC9. Significant strain-dependent differences were observed among these strains in multiple aspects of fermentation performance. La Raffinee exhibited the highest yeast growth peak (7.85 × 10⁸ CFU/mL), the most efficient sugar utilization (98.86 %), the maximum ethanol production (13.25 % v/v), the highest ester content (12.98 g/100 L), and the strongest antioxidant capacity, with a superoxide anion scavenging activity of 81.67 %, resulting in ciders with strong fruity and floral aromas. Fermol blanc showed the lowest volatile acidity (0.45 g/L), while Koya FC9 retained the highest tannin content (0.24 g/L), yielding a more astringent mouthfeel. RC212 produced moderate ethanol levels but had relatively low antioxidant capacity, whereas Zymaflora F15 exhibited the weakest performance, with the lowest ethanol yield (12.34 % v/v), ester content (12.47 g/100 L), and antioxidant activity (43.59 %). Kinetic modeling using Logistic and DoseResp functions effectively described yeast growth, sugar consumption, and ethanol generation (R² > 0.99). These findings underscore the comparative impacts of yeast strains on cider quality and identify La Raffinee as the most promising candidate for producing high-quality Fuji apple cider, with notable advantages in fermentation efficiency, aroma complexity, and antioxidant capacity.