The Effect of Sugar Alcohols on Enzymatic Activity in Yeast Fermentation

In this paper and experiment, I would like to explore how different sugar alcohols can affect enzymatic activity in yeast fermentation. Typically, glucose is used to activate the yeast fermentation process, and in this essay I would like to explore alternative methods to ferment yeast. This idea stemmed from my interest in fermentation, more specifically when I bake bread or create pizza dough. Fermentation has always been intriguing to me, as I find it very satisfying when I see the dough rise. Yeast fermentation is used in a variety of different products such as bread, pizza, beer, and other alcohols. It is a very common and simple process which is universally used and known. I took this idea and decided to understand more about how the process of yeast fermentation works. From there I discovered that adding sugar is necessary to the process as the sugar is the “food” needed for the yeast to activate and begin the process. This was interesting as I had recently learned about sugar alcohols in my chemistry class. This idea of using sugar alcohols instead of sugar itself to ferment yeast was alluring as I wanted to test which would ferment the fastest: the sugar or the sugar alcohol? Sugar alcohols are generally healthier than regular sugar as it is composed of a different chemical structure. This chemical structure makes it harder for the human body to digest but it allows it to contain fewer calories per gram, but still provide a sweet taste. I want to test the effect of sugar alcohols on enzymatic activity to see if it raises, lowers, or is the same as regular sugar to determine if sugar alcohols can be used in baking for the future. Sugar alcohols are a healthier alternative and I would like to put this to the test. The goal for this experiment is to help provide evidence for and support an alternative, and more healthier sugar in the fermentation process. The idea is to help those who are struggling with diabetes or are pre-diabetic, eat healthier food while still enjoying the same taste of sugar. I am pre-diabetic, and my dad was recently diagnosed with diabetes. It is difficult for him to eat food such as bread or drink wine without spiking his blood glucose levels. This study aims to test if sugar alcohols can increase carbon dioxide production, leading to higher enzymatic activity production. By identifying these sugar alcohols, this study can help develop diabetic-friendly food products that retain the same texture and taste of foods with regular white sugar. Through controlled fermentation trials using yeast, this study seeks to measure metabolic response to sugar alcohols and evaluate their impact on enzymatic activity compared to glucose.