Isolation of Wild Yeasts and Characterization of Physiological Functionalities of Unrecorded Wild Yeasts Obtained from Flowers and Soils of the Wolpyung Park, Daejeon City and Gykpo Beach, Buan, Jeollabuk-do in Korea

This study aimed to isolate wild yeasts obtained from flowers and soil of the Wolpyung park, Daejeon city and Gykpo beach, Buan, Jeollabuk-do in Korea, and to further characterize previously unrecorded wild yeast strains. In total, 88 strains of 62 different species of wild yeasts were isolated from 75 samples obtained from the Wolpyung park. Among these, six strains of Trichosporon moniliiforme and four strains each of Papiliotrema flavescens and Candida melibiosica were isolated. Additionally, 39 strains of 30 different species of wild yeasts were isolated from 35 samples collected from the Gykpo beach. Among the 127 isolated wild yeast strains, 10 strains, including Apiotrichum porosum ASCM32-1, were previously unrecorded. All the 10 previously unrecorded yeasts were oval or global in shape, and three strains, including Candida athensensis WP4-90-3, formed spores. Three strains, including Vishniacozyma taibaiensis WP13-2, were halophilic yeasts which grew in 15% NaCl-containing YPD(yeast extract-peptone-dextrose) medium. Five strains, including C. athensensis WP4-90-3, showed 15% ethanol resistance. Cell-free extracts from Candida oleophila WP5-19-1 and Wickerhamomyces anomalus HO9-2 showed the highest β-glucuronidase inhibitory activity (49.0%) and neutrophil elastase inhibitory activity (38.4%), respectively.