Unraveling the distinctive contributions of various saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to flavor complexity, antioxidant potency, and quality differentiation in cherry wine

• SPARK strain achieved optimal antioxidant activity by enriching phenolic compounds. • F33 strain enhanced cherry wine esters and sensory preference. • E-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS revealed strain-specific aroma profiles. • PLSR analysis correlated the fruity/floral notes with the overall aroma acceptance. • Eight key flavor compounds were identified through OPLS-DA analysis combined with ROAV. The unique contributions of 10 commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (AB-1, AS-2, AC-4, F33, TF-6, VL1, R60, SPARK, FRS-66, 71B) to the physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and sensory quality of cherry wine were systematically evaluated in this study. Strain F33 demonstrated superior ester synthesis (143.45 mg/L total esters), particularly ethyl acetate (12.31 mg/L) and ethyl decanoate (18.55 mg/L), correlating with intense fruity/floral aromas and the highest sensory score (4.30). SPARK exhibited optimal antioxidant activity (92.29% ABTS, 86.10% hydroxyl radical scavenging) linked to elevated phenolics. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) revealed distinct alcohol/ester profiles in AB-1 and F33 fermentations. Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) identified eight key flavor compounds, while principal component analysis (PLSR) confirmed fruity/floral aromas as primary drivers of overall aroma acceptance. These findings provide actionable insights for yeast selection and flavor modulation in industrial cherry wine production.