Yeast and nonyeast fungi: the hidden allies in pulque fermentation

Fermentation is a biochemical process used by humans since thousands of years ago. Currently, this process is crucial for the production of diverse foods and beverages worldwide. Bacteria, yeasts and other fungi are reported as pivotal for different fermentation processes and pulque fermentation is not the exception. Historically most of the papers have focused on reporting and describing the presence and action of bacteria in the pulque production process. In the present review, we revisit the historically reported Yeast and other fungi in the literature since 1870 and the recently found ones using next-generation sequencing approaches. We also discuss its probable role in pulque production and the potential biotechnological role of such microorganisms.