Of the yeast present in the cotton seed and rice beverage, C. lusitaniae is a cosmopolitan species that can be found in a large variety of substrates, including fruits, soil, water and humans The other species detected in this study was Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. This yeast may be found in soils and vegetation, and it is a common species found in food. R. mucilaginosa produces pink or red pigments and causes discoloration of foods, such as fresh poultry, fish and beef. This species has also been reported to cause spoilage in dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese, butter and cream Only R. mucilaginosa can use raffinose as a carbon source. Carbohydrates, such as glucose, maltose, trehalose and sucrose, can be used by representatives of all species isolated in this work. The function of the yeast species in the cotton seed and rice beverage is not known. The yeast may cause spoilage or contribute to the development of flavor. More studies on yeast metabolism are needed to understand the role of this microorganism during fermentation, which would aid in the development of a starter culture. In this way, it may be that yeast species participate in gossypol detoxification in cotton seed extracts, as previous work with Candida tropicalis has shown. In addition, it is known that gossypol is inactivated by high temperatures thus, it would not be expected to be found here due to the cooking process prior to preparation of the beverage.