Three new yeast species from flowers of Camellia sinensis var. assamica collected in Northern Thailand and their tannin tolerance characterization

Apinun Kanpiengjai; Pratthana Kodchasee; Kridsada Unban; Jaturong Kumla; Saisamorn Lumyong; Pannida Khunnamwong; Dipayan Sarkar; Kalidas Shetty; Chartchai Khanongnuch

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1043430

Three new yeast species from flowers of Camellia sinensis var. assamica collected in Northern Thailand and their tannin tolerance characterization

Front Microbiol. 2023 Feb 16:14:1043430. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1043430. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Apinun Kanpiengjai^{1

2}, Pratthana Kodchasee^{2

3}, Kridsada Unban^{2

4}, Jaturong Kumla^{5

6}, Saisamorn Lumyong^{5

6}, Pannida Khunnamwong^{7

8}, Dipayan Sarkar⁹, Kalidas Shetty⁹, Chartchai Khanongnuch^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Biochemistry and Biochemical Innovation, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
² Research Center for Multidisciplinary Approaches to Miang, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
³ Division of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
⁴ Division of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
⁵ Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
⁶ Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
⁷ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁸ Biodiversity Center Kasetsart University (BDCKU), Bangkok, Thailand.
⁹ Global Institute of Food Security and International Agriculture (GIFSIA), Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States.

Abstract

Our recent research study focused on Miang fermentation revealed that tannin-tolerant yeasts and bacteria play vital roles in the Miang production process. A high proportion of yeast species are associated with plants, insects, or both, and nectar is one of the unexplored sources of yeast biodiversity. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and identify yeasts of tea flowers of Camellia sinensis var. assamica and to investigate their tannin tolerance, which is a property essential to Miang production processes. A total of 82 yeasts were recovered from a total of 53 flower samples in Northern Thailand. It was found that two and eight yeast strains were distinct from all other known species within the genera Metschnikowia and Wickerhamiella, respectively. These yeast strains were described as three new species, namely, Metschnikowia lannaensis, Wickerhamiella camelliae, and W. thailandensis. The identification of these species was based on phenotypic (morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics) and phylogenetic analyses of a combination of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA gene. The yeast diversity in tea flowers acquired from Chiang Mai, Lampang, and Nan provinces had a positive correlation with those acquired from Phayao, Chiang Rai, and Phrae, respectively. Wickerhamiella azyma, Candida leandrae, and W. thailandensis were the species uniquely found in tea flowers collected from Nan and Phrae, Chiang Mai, and Lampang provinces, respectively. Some of the tannin-tolerant and/or tannase-producing yeasts were associated with yeasts in the commercial Miang process and those found during Miang production, i.e., C. tropicalis, Hyphopichia burtonii, Meyerozyma caribbica, Pichia manshurica, C. orthopsilosis, Cyberlindnera fabianii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. In conclusion, these studies suggest that floral nectar could support the formation of yeast communities that are beneficial for Miang production.

Keywords: Miang; tannase; tannin-tolerance; taxonomy; tea flower; yeast.