Epigenetic changes in genomics provide phenotypic modification without DNA sequence alteration. This study shows that benzoic acid, a common food additive and known histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), has an epigenetic effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Benzoic acid stimulated formation of epigenetic histone marks H3K4Me2, H3K27Me2, H3K18ac, and H3Ser10p in S. cerevisiae and altered their phenotypic behavior, resulting in increased production of phenylethyl alcohol and ester compounds during alcoholic fermentation using wine as a representative model system. Our study demonstrates the HDACi activity of certain dietary compounds such as sodium butyrate, curcumin and anacardic acid, suggests the potential use of these dietary compounds in altering S. cerevisiae phenotypes without altering host-cell DNA. This study highlights the potential to use common dietary compounds to exploit epigenetic modifications for various fermentation and biotechnology applications as an alternative to genetic modification. These findings indicate that benzoic acid and other food additives may have potential epigenetic effects on human gut microbiota, in which several yeast species are involved. IMPORTANCE The manuscript investigates and reports for the first time utilizing a non-GMO approach to alter the fermentation process of Pinot Noir wines. We have experimentally demonstrated that certain dietary compounds possess histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibiting activity and can alter the wine characteristics by potentially altering yeast gene transcription, which was resulted from epigenetic effects. We have previously proposed the term "nutrifermentics" to represent this newly proposed field of research that provides insights on the effect of certain dietary compounds on microbial strains and their potential application in fermentation. This technological approach is a novel way to manipulate microorganisms for innovative food and beverage production with quality attributes catering for consumer's needs. Using a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on food fermentation and biotechnology, this study will be substantially useful and of broad interest to food microbiologists and biotechnologists who seek for innovative concepts with real-world application potential.
Keywords: benzoic acid; fermentation; microbial epigenetics and biotechnology; nutrifermentics.