ISOLATION AND PROFILING OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE FROM RAFFIA PALM WINE RAPHIA HOOKERI AS BAKER’S YEAST FOR BREAD PRODUCTION.

This study investigates the potential of utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from palm wine for bread making. Palm wine, a traditional alcoholic beverage, is known to harbor diverse microbial populations, including yeast species like Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The aim of this research work was to explore the suitability of this palm wine endogenous yeast strains for raising flour dough for bread making, considering their adaptation to local environment and their potential to impart unique flavor profiles to the bread. The research involves isolation and characterization of yeast strains from palm wine samples, followed by evaluation of their fermentation activities in bread dough compared to commercial baker's yeast strains. Physical properties and sensory attributes of the resulting bread was assessed to determine the quality of the product and the feasibility of utilizing spontaneous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for bread making. In general, our results showed that S. cerevisiae isolated from palm wine gave overall good results in terms of loaf quality (loaf volume, loaf weigh) as well sensory evaluation.Yeast S. cerevisiae from palm wine outperformed the commercial yeast (CY). This study contributes to the sustainable utilization of local resources in food production while promoting cultural heritage and enhancing food security.