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“Mo gase ntšhe tota tota” - towards a fermented sweet reed beverage.
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  • Tawanda P. Makopa,
  • Thandiwe Semumu,
  • Mpho T. Gaaipone,
  • Thato Masemola,
  • Santosh Ramchuran,
  • Urska Vrhovsek,
  • Nerve Zhou
Tawanda P. Makopa
Botswana International University of Science and Technology Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Thandiwe Semumu
Botswana International University of Science and Technology Faculty of Engineering and Technology
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Mpho T. Gaaipone
Botswana International University of Science and Technology Faculty of Engineering and Technology
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Thato Masemola
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Natural Resources and the Environment
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Santosh Ramchuran
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Natural Resources and the Environment
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Urska Vrhovsek
Fondazione Edmund Mach Dipartimento Qualita Alimentare e Nutrizione
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Nerve Zhou
Botswana International University of Science and Technology Faculty of Engineering and Technology
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Abstract

Ntšhe, a Setswana name for sweet reeds, a sweet sorghum variety ( Sorghum bicolor (L)) is a commercial crop consumed as a delicacy in enormous quantities in Botswana and in southern Africa at large. Pre and post-harvest losses due to infestation by larval stages of stem borer moths, Chilo partellus often lead to severe financial losses as consumers condemn the worm-infested sweet reeds as unpalatable, “ Mo gase ntšhe tota tota” (this is not a sweet reed). Valorisation of condemned sweet reeds is one attractive route to reduce economic losses. Here, we took advantage of our understanding of yeast-insect interactions to isolate yeasts associated with larval stages of the stem borer moths and investigated their potential for production of an alcoholic sweet reed beverage. We isolated 33 yeast strains representing from the galleries and frass as well as from the guts of the larval moths. Assessment of their ability to ferment the simplest sugar, glucose, resulted in identification of 14 strains belonging to Hanseniaspora and Candida genera. These strains were further assessed for their capacity to ferment by calculating the rate of accumulation of carbon dioxide and ethanol when grown in the principal sugars found in sweet sorghum juice as sole carbon sources as well in sweet sorghum juice. In addition, as an industrially relevant trait, we tested the potential of the strains to tolerate brewing/fermentation-associated stresses. Furthermore, we assessed the aromatic complexity of the produced beverage. Our results suggest that non-conventional yeasts associated with the larval moths have potential for valorization of condemned sweet sorghum stalks to produce a sweet sorghum beverage.
05 Jun 2023Submitted to Yeast
05 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
05 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
05 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
16 Oct 20231st Revision Received
16 Oct 2023Submission Checks Completed
16 Oct 2023Assigned to Editor
16 Oct 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Oct 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned