Jyoti Prakash Tamang

Review: Diversity of Microorganisms in Global Fermented Foods and Beverages

Culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms naturally ferment majority of global fermented foods and beverages. Traditional food fermentation represents an extremely valuable cultural heritage in most regions, and harbors a huge genetic potential of valuable but hitherto undiscovered strains. Holistic approaches for identification and complete profiling of both culturalable and non-culturable microorganisms in global fermented foods are of interest to food microbiologists. The application of culture-independent technique has thrown new light on the diversity of a number of hitherto unknown and non-cultural microorganisms in naturally fermented foods. Functional bacterial groups (“phylotypes”) may be reflected by their mRNA expression in a particular substrate and not by mere DNA-level detection. An attempt has been made to review the microbiology of some fermented foods and alcoholic beverages of the world.

Himalayan Fermented Foods : Microbiology, Nutrition, and Ethnic Values

The Himalayas and Food Culture The Himalayas Agriculture in the Himalayas Ethnic people Food culture Fusion of Western and Eastern food cultures What are ethnic fermented foods? Fermented Vegetables Important fermented vegetables Microbiology Nutritive value Fermented Legumes Important fermented soybean foods Fermented black gram food Microbiology Nutritive value Fermented Milks Important fermented milk products Microbiology Nutritive valueF ermented Cereals Important fermented cereals Microbiology Nutritive value Ethnic Fish Products Important ethnic fish products Microbiology Nutritive value Ethnic Meat Products Important ethnic meat products Microbiology Nutritive value Ethnic Starters and Alcoholic Beverages Traditional starter culture Alcoholic food beverages Distilled liquor or alcoholic drink Microbiology Nutritive value Antiquity and Ethnic Values Antiquity Ethnic values of the Himalayan fermented foods Prospects of the Himalayan Fermented Foods Medicinal aspects Total substrate utilization Commercialization through ethnic food tourism Microbial genetic resources Bibliography Index

Microbiology of mesu, a traditional fermented bamboo shoot product

The use of mesu as a pickle and as the base of curry is a tradition in the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim of India. A total of 327 strains of lactic acid bacteria, representing Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis and Pediococcus pentosaceus were isolated from 30 samples of mesu. These species were present in all samples of raw bamboo shoots tested. Mesu was dominated by L. plantarum followed by L. brevis; P. pentosaceus was isolated less frequently and recovered from only 40-50% of the mesu samples. The fermentation was initiated by P. pentosaceus, followed by L. brevis, and finally succeeded by L. plantarum species. During fermentation, the titratable acidity increased from 0.04 to 0.95%, resulting in the decline in pH from 6.4 to 3.8.

Fermented Foods and Beverages Of the World

Dietary Cultures and Antiquity of Fermented Foods and Beverages Jyoti Prakash Tamang and Delwen Samuel Diversity of Fermented Foods Jyoti Prakash Tamang Diversity of Fermented Beverages and Alcoholic Drinks Jyoti Prakash Tamang Functional Yeasts and Molds in Fermented Foods and Beverages Kofi E. Aidoo and M. J. Robert Nout Fermented Vegetable Products Carmen Wacher, Gloria Diaz-Ruiz, and Jyoti Prakash Tamang Fermented Legumes: Soybean and Non-Soybean Products Toshirou Nagai and Jyoti Prakash Tamang Fermented Soybean Pastes Miso and Shoyu with Reference to Aroma Etsuko Sugawara Fermented Cereal Products Jean-Pierre Guyot Fermented Milk Products Baltasar Mayo, Mohammed Salim Ammor, Susana Delgado, and Angel Alegria Fermented Fish Products Junus Salampessy, Kasipathy Kailasapathy, and Namrata Thapa Fermented Meat Products Martin Adams Ethnic African Fermented Foods N. A. Olasupo, S. A. Odunfa, and O. S. Obayori Tea, Coffee, and Cacao Ulrich Schillinger, Louis Ban-Koffi, and Charles M. A. P. Franz Probiotic and Prebiotic Fermented Foods Kasipathy Kailasapathy Health Aspects of Fermented Foods Mariam Farhad, Kasipathy Kailasapathy, and Jyoti Prakash Tamang Packaging Concepts for Enhancing Preservation of Fermented Foods Kasipathy Kailasapathy

Functional properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from ethnic fermented vegetables of the Himalayas

A total of 94 strains of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), previously isolated from ethnic fermented vegetables and tender bamboo shoots of the Himalayas, were screened for functional properties such as acidification capacity, enzymatic activities, degradation of antinutritive factors and oligosaccharides, production of biogenic amines, hydrophobicity and adherence to mucus secreting HT29 MTX cells. Strong acidification and coagulation activities of LAB strains were recorded. Most of the LAB strains showed antimicrobial activities against the used indicator strains; however, only Lb. plantarum IB2 (BFE 948) isolated from inziangsang, a fermented leafy vegetable product, produced a bacteriocin against Staphylococcus aureus S1. LAB strains showed enzymatic activities and also degraded oligosaccharides. Almost all the strains of LAB were non-producers of biogenic amines except few strains. Some strains of Lb. plantarum showed more than 70% hydrophobicity. Adherence to the mucus secreting HT29 MTX cells was also shown by seven strains indicating their probiotic nature.

Functional Properties of Microorganisms in Fermented Foods.

Fermented foods have unique functional properties imparting some health benefits to consumers due to presence of functional microorganisms, which possess probiotics properties, antimicrobial, antioxidant, peptide production, etc. Health benefits of some global fermented foods are synthesis of nutrients, prevention of cardiovascular disease, prevention of cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, allergic reactions, diabetes, among others. The present paper is aimed to review the information on some functional properties of the microorganisms associated with fermented foods and beverages, and their health-promoting benefits to consumers.

Lactic acid bacteria in Hamei and Marcha of North East India

Hamei and Marcha are mixed dough inocula used as starters for preparation of various indigenous alcoholic beverages in Manipur and Sikkim in India, respectively. These starters are traditionally prepared from rice with wild herbs and spices. Samples of Hamei and Marcha, collected from Manipur and Sikkim, respectively, were analysed for lactic acid bacterial composition. The population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was 6.9 and 7.1 Log cfu/g in Hamei and Marcha, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characters, LAB strains isolated from Hamei and Marcha were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis. Technological properties of LAB such as antimicrobial properties, effect on acidification, ability to produce biogenic amines and ethanol, degree of hydrophobicity and enzymatic activities were also performed. Pediococcus pentosaceus HS: B1, isolated from Hamei, was found to produce bacteriocin. None of the strains produced biogenic amines. LAB strains showed a strong acidifying ability and they also produced a wide spectrum of enzymes.

Fermentation Dynamics During Production of Bhaati Jaanr, a Traditional Fermented Rice Beverage of the Eastern Himalayas

Bhaati jaanr is an inexpensive high calorie mild-alcoholic beverage prepared from steamed glutinous rice, consumed as a staple food beverage in the Eastern Himalayan regions of Nepal, India and Bhutan. In this paper, fermentation dynamics including growth kinetics and physico-chemical changes during fermentation of bhaati jaanr were studied. The population of filamentous moulds declined significantly (P < 0.05) each day and finally disappeared after the 5th day. The load of yeasts increased significantly (P < 0.05) from 105 cfu/g to 108 cfu g−1 within two days. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased significantly (P < 0.05) from 106 cfu g−1 to 107 cfu g−1 in the first day and decreased significantly (P < 0.05) to 105 cfu/g at the end of the fermentation. The pH decreased and acidity increased during fermentation. The alcohol content increased significantly (P < 0.05) up to 10% on the tenth day. The reducing sugar content increased significantly (P < 0.05) until the third day and then decreased, followed by a decrease in total sugar content. Maximum activities of saccharification and liquefaction of rice were observed on the third day of fermentation. It was revealed that Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Rhizopus spp. play important roles in the saccharification process of rice in bhaati jaanr fermentation. The mean pH, acidity, moisture and alcohol content of the product were 3.5%, 0.24%, 83.4% and 5.9%, respectively.

Selection of starter cultures for the production of kinema, a fermented soybean food of the Himalaya

Kinema, a traditional fermented soybean food, serves as a low-cost source of protein in the diet of the people of the Himalaya. The traditional method of kinema preparation results in a product with inconsistent quality. Forty five strains of spore-forming bacteria were isolated from nine samples of kinema collected from markets in the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim in India. Of these, 10 strains, identified as Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn, were selected as possible starter cultures on the basis of enzyme activities and the production of slimy material. Protease activity (U/ml), α-amylase activity (U/ml) and relative viscosity of the selected strains were 6.5 to 81.5, 0.1 to 9.3, and 1.1 to 20.1, respectively. Kinema produced by these strains showed nitrogen contents (expressed as a percentage of the total nitrogen content) of: water-soluble N, 48.4 to 76.5; TCA-soluble N, 16.0 to 27.6; formal N, 5.0 to 12.5; ammonia-N, 4.4 to 7.8%. Reducing sugar was 1.1 to 2.0% of the wet weight and relative viscosity was from 2.0 to 35.2. Correlation matrices of the biochemical parameters and sensory attributes of the kinema produced by these B. subtilis strains were statistically analysed. Strains KK-2:B10 and GK-2:B10 of B. subtilis were the best starter cultures for improved kinema production.

Identification and enzymatic profiles of the predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated from soft-variety chhurpi, a traditional cheese typical of the Sikkim Himalayas

Abstract This paper is the first report on the microbial population and predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of two soft‐varieties (mild and strong flavoured) of chhurpi., a traditional cheese product of the Sikkim Himalayas. The enzymatic profiles and percentage hydrophobicity (as one criterion of potential adhesion capability) of the predominant LAB were also studied. The LAB, yeasts and viable mesophilic microbial numbers ranged from 7.6–7.9, 7.0–7.4 and 7.7–8.0 log10 cfu/g respectively. The predominant LAB were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lb. curvatus, Lb. fermentum, Lb. paracasei subsp. pseudoplcmtarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. They produced a wide spectrum of enzymes and also exhibited similar patterns of enzymatic activity between species. In comparison to the peptidases, they showed relatively weak esterase and lipase activities. No proteinase activity was detected. Most strains had a high degree of hydrophobicity. The results are discussed in relation to the possible role of the strains in food processing.