Identification of spoilage yeasts in cashew apple (Annacardium occidentale L.) using MALDI-TOF MS

Cashew (Annacardium occidentale L.) is a hardy and golden crop of arid regions, and the pseudo fruit, cashew apple is a vital source of sugars and vitamins that is discarded as a waste during cashew nut processing. Cashew apples start fermenting soon after the harvest, and due to the presence of a wide spectrum of polyphenols and tannins, the change of colour of cashew apples leads to an unappealing marketability and storage stability. The present study is aimed to rapid identification of different spoilage yeasts and to identify them using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectroscopy. Spoilage yeasts like Candida krusei, C. tropicalis, Pichia norvegensis, Brettannomyces bruxellensis were the spoilage yeasts found to have high confidence score values of 2.00 - 3.00 with high consistency