Introduction

Fermentation is the anaerobic process where yeast and other microbes transform carbohydrates into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Yeast is the main ingredient to promote fermentation, which enabled the process that has been employed for many thousands of years for the making of food items, including bread, beer, and wine. Sugar is needed for the natural processes of fermentation, but the type of sugar that the yeast uses, may have a large impact on the speed and efficiency of the fermentation process. The types of sugar that yeast can use is an important detail of fermentation. Studying how different types of sugar will affect yeast fermentation has profound impacts on industries such as biofuel production, where fermentation is key, in addition to exposing the background of these fundamental processes.

The biochemical digestion of carbohydrates, involves many metabolic pathways like glycolysis and the ethanol fermentation pathway. These two are the primary processes of yeast fermentation. When oxygen is scarce, these routes are how yeast cells produce carbon dioxide and ethanol from sugar for energy (Van Dijken et al., 1986). The type of sugar that is available influences the rate of fermentation because of variations in metabolic efficiency and sugar transport channels, which can change the type of transport process (Lagunas, 1976). Simple sugars, such as glucose, ferment quickly, but depending on the yeast strain and the environment, more complex sugars or artificial sweeteners may be digested more slowly or not at all.

The focus of this study is to look into the effects of glucose, sucrose, and lactose on the pace of yeast fermentation. The study also seeks to make comparisons to industrial fermentation methods, including those used to produce alcohol and biofuel, by simulating this process in an environment that is controlled. Understanding the metabolic pathways involved and the role sugar plays in these processes might help optimize yeast fermentation for food and biofuel applications.