Scholarlink

Background <p>Spontaneous fermentation is among the oldest food preservation methods, with evidence of enhancing the nutritional and sensorial qualities of products and the synthesis of health-promoting compounds. However, the bacterial communities responsible for these transformative changes remain poorly understood, notably across diverse indigenous Ghanaian substrates, including grains and starchy roots, tubers, and plantains.</p> Method <p>The study aimed to examine bacterial community diversity in the spontaneous fermentations of selected Ghanaian raw materials for complementary food, namely maize, millet, sorghum, sweetpotato, cassava, soybean and plantain. Fermentation lasted 48&#xa0;h, with samples collected at 6-h intervals. The pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) were determined using standard protocols over the fermentation period. DNA was extracted directly from the fermented food samples using ZymoBIOMICS™ kits, and full-length 16&#xa0;S rDNA sequencing was performed on the Pacific Biosciences Sequel IIe long-read sequencing platform. Data processing involved DADA2 and taxonomic classification against the SILVA database v138.1, with analysis conducted using R version 4.4.3.</p> Results <p>Fermented cereals exhibited increasing bacterial diversity over time, dominated by <i>Weissella confusa</i>, <i>Enterococcus hirae</i>, and <i>Pediococcus acidilactici</i>. Soybean fermentation showed distinct microbial communities with fluctuating diversity. Starch-rich roots, tubers, and plantain supported the growth of <i>Leuconostoc mesenteroides</i>, <i>Weissella confusa</i>, <i>Gluconobacter frateurii</i>, <i>Fructobacillus fructosus</i>, and <i>Pediococcus pentosaceus</i>. <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> favored acidic conditions, while <i>Weissella confusa</i> and <i>Leuconostoc mesenteroides</i> adapted to the fluctuating pH conditions in specific crop substrates.</p> Conclusion <p>The fermented flours showed increased bacterial diversity over time, dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria. The fermentation patterns among the plant-based substrates differed in terms of bacterial behavior and their response to pH and TTA over time. Understanding the bacterial community dynamics not only enhances our knowledge of bacterial ecosystems but also offers a foundation for refining the safety, consistency, and nutritional quality of fermented foods.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Bacterial community dynamics in spontaneously fermented Ghanaian cereals, legumes, root, tuber and plantain flours

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月2日

查看全文
  • Richard Atinpoore Atuna,
  • Fortune Akabanda,
  • Stefan Bletz,
  • Natalie Scherff,
  • Jan Makurat,
  • Ursula Bordewick-Dell,
  • Matthias Lamping,
  • Guido Ritter,
  • Alexander Mellmann,
  • Francis Kweku Amagloh

摘要

Background

Spontaneous fermentation is among the oldest food preservation methods, with evidence of enhancing the nutritional and sensorial qualities of products and the synthesis of health-promoting compounds. However, the bacterial communities responsible for these transformative changes remain poorly understood, notably across diverse indigenous Ghanaian substrates, including grains and starchy roots, tubers, and plantains.

Method

The study aimed to examine bacterial community diversity in the spontaneous fermentations of selected Ghanaian raw materials for complementary food, namely maize, millet, sorghum, sweetpotato, cassava, soybean and plantain. Fermentation lasted 48 h, with samples collected at 6-h intervals. The pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) were determined using standard protocols over the fermentation period. DNA was extracted directly from the fermented food samples using ZymoBIOMICS™ kits, and full-length 16 S rDNA sequencing was performed on the Pacific Biosciences Sequel IIe long-read sequencing platform. Data processing involved DADA2 and taxonomic classification against the SILVA database v138.1, with analysis conducted using R version 4.4.3.

Results

Fermented cereals exhibited increasing bacterial diversity over time, dominated by Weissella confusa, Enterococcus hirae, and Pediococcus acidilactici. Soybean fermentation showed distinct microbial communities with fluctuating diversity. Starch-rich roots, tubers, and plantain supported the growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Weissella confusa, Gluconobacter frateurii, Fructobacillus fructosus, and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Enterococcus faecium favored acidic conditions, while Weissella confusa and Leuconostoc mesenteroides adapted to the fluctuating pH conditions in specific crop substrates.

Conclusion

The fermented flours showed increased bacterial diversity over time, dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria. The fermentation patterns among the plant-based substrates differed in terms of bacterial behavior and their response to pH and TTA over time. Understanding the bacterial community dynamics not only enhances our knowledge of bacterial ecosystems but also offers a foundation for refining the safety, consistency, and nutritional quality of fermented foods.