Introduction:

The yeasts consumed by the population in foods such as tropical fruits remain relatively unknown, despite being an important component of the human microbiota and having multiple biotechnological applications.

Methods:

In this work we isolated and characterized the diversity of yeasts in fruits regularly ingested in Costa Rica, using culture-dependent methods, morphological characterization, and ITS marker sequencing.

Results:

We isolated 118 yeasts from the 26 species of tropical fruits sampled, grouped into 7 families, 11 genera, and 19 species. Hanseniaspora pseudoguilliermondii, Pichia kluyveri and Hanseniaspora uvarum were the most abundant species. Notably, some species were present on several fruits, others presented a more specific host range, and some were only isolated after several months of fermentation.

Conclusion:

Our work evidences the large diversity of yeasts present in tropical fruits, which motivates further study of their ecology, physiology, and potential biotechnological uses.