Biological Effects of Phenolic Compounds on Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Plant phenolic compounds are biologically active, affecting many functions of eukaryotic cells. Grapes are rich in a variety of phenolic compounds, many of which have been shown to possess activity in mammalian systems. The effects of phenolic compounds on the metabolic activities of the yeast Saccharomyces have not been thoroughly studied. The goal of this work is to investigate the effect of phenolic compounds on growth and fermentation rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under enological conditions and to evaluate the role of these compounds as antioxidants in yeast.