Abstract:
Borassus flabellifer L (Palmyrah palm) is
widely distributed in North - East part of Sri Lanka.
Among the palmyrah products palmyrah fruit pulp is
rich in sugar, provitamin A, vitamin C and lycopene
which could be used for the development of wine.
Fermentation of fruit pulp was carried out by using
yeast which was isolated from palmyrah toddy and
selected based on the alcohol tolerance and cell mass in
fruit pulp. Palmyrah fruit pulp contains 6.7% of pectin.
To improve the clarification of wine, pectinase treatment
was carried out at different concentration, temperature
and incubation time and the selected optimum condition
was 1%, 40 oC and an hour respectively. Fermentation
medium were prepared by using optimized amount
of brix (20o) and pH (4.5) with pectinase treated and
untreated palmyrah fruit pulp. Then selected yeast
strain (P7) was inoculated into the pasteurized pulp and
allowed to ferment. Changes in alcohol content, total
soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity were determined
for 5 days. After 14 days, volatile acidity, total residue
on evaporation and methanol content were determined.
Pectinase treated wine gave the highest alcohol content
(9.6 ± 0.06 v/v %) compared to untreated wine (6.8 ±
0.12 v/v %). According to the analysis of residue on
evaporation, pectinase treated (3.94 ± 0.115g/100ml)
wine gave fewer residues on compared to untreated wine
(9.29 ± 0.035g/100ml). Pectinase treated wine is free of
methanol but the untreated wine contains methanol.
The pectinase treated wine was selected as the best
based on high alcohol content, absence of methanol, less
residue on evaporation. Therefore this study revealed
that best wine could be produced by using pectinase
treated palmyrah fruit pulp with optimum fermentation
condition.
