Abstract
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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dung NTP, Rombouts FM & Nout MJR (2006) Functionality of selected strains of moulds and yeasts from Vietnamese rice wine starters. Food Microbiol 23:331–340
Tamang JP, Thapa S, Tamang N & Rai B (1996) Indigenous fermented food beverages of the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim: process and product characterisation. J Hill Res 9(2):401–411
Tamang JP (2005) Food Culture of Sikkim. Sikkim Study Series Vol. 4. Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim, Gangtok
Hesseltine CW & Ray M. (1988) Lactic acid bacteria in murcha and ragi. J Appl Bacteriol 64:395–401
Shrestha H, Nand K & Rai ER (2002) Microbiological profile of murcha starters and physico-chemical characteristics of poko, a rice based traditional food products of Nepal. Food Biotechnol 16:1–15
Tamang JP & Sarkar PK (1995) Microflora of murcha: an amylolytic fermentation starter. Microbios 81:115–122
Schillinger U & Lücke FK (1987) Identification of lactobacilli from meat and meat products. Food Microbiol 4:199–208
Tamang JP, Dewan S, Thapa S, Olasupo NA, Schillinger U & Holzapfel WH (2000) Identification and enzymatic profiles of predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated from softvariety chhurpi, a traditional cheese typical of the Sikkim Himalayas. Food Biotechnol 14(1&2):99–112
Pitcher DG, Saunders NA & Owen RJ (1989) Rapid extraction of bacterial genomic DNA with guanidium thiocyanate. Letters Appl Microbiol 8:151–156
Huey B & Hall J (1989) Hypervariable DNA fingerprinting in Escherichia coli. minisatellite probe from bacteriophage M13. J Bacteriol 171:2528–2532
Schillinger U, Yousif NMK, Sesar L & Franz CMAP (2003) Use of group-specific and RAPD-PCR analyses for rapid differentiation of Lactobacillus strains from probiotic yogurts. Current Microbiol 47:453–456
Guarneri T, Rossetti L & Giraffa G (2001) Rapid identification of Lactobacillus brevis using the polymerase chain reaction. Letters in Appl Microbiol 33:377–381
Gevers D, Huys G & Swings J (2001) Applicability of rep-PCR fingerprinting for identification of Lactobacillus species. FEMS Microbiol Lett 205:31–36
Tamang JP, Tamang B, Schillinger U, Franz CMAP, Gores M & Holzapfel WH (2005) Identification of predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional fermented vegetable products of the Eastern Himalayas. Int J Food Microbiol 105:347–356
Schillinger U & Lücke FK (1989) Antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus sake isolated from meat. Appl Environ Microbiol 55(8):1901–1906
Uhlman L, Schillinger U, Rupnow JR & Holzapfel WH (1992) Identification and characterization of two bacteriocin-producing strains of Lactococcus lactis isolated from vegetables. Int J Food Microbiol 16:141–151
Cabo ML, Murado MA, González MP & Pastoriza L (1999) A method for bacteriocin quantification. J Appl Microbiol 87:907–914
Olasupo NA, Schillinger U & Holzapfel WH (2001) Studies on some technological properties of predominant lactic acid bacteria isolated from Nigerian fermented foods. Food Biotechnol 15(3):157–167
Bover-Cid S & Holzapfel WH (1999) Improved screening procedure for biogenic amine production by lactic acid bacteria. Int. J. Food Microbiol 53:33–41
Ding H & Lämmler C (1992) Cell surface hydrophobicity of Actinomyces pyogenes determined by hexadecane adherence-and salt aggregation studies. Zen für Veterinär (B) 39:132–138
Nostro A, Cannatelli MA, Crisafi G, Musolino AD, Procopio F & Alonzon V (2004) Modifications of hydrophobicity, in vitro adherence and cellular aggregation of Streptococcus mutans by Helichrysum italicum extract. Letters Appl Microbiol 38:423–427
Tsuyoshi N, Fudou R, Yamanaka S, Kozaki M, Tamang N, Thapa S & Tamang JP (2005) Identification of yeast strains isolated from marcha in Sikkim, a microbial starter for amylolytic fermentation. Int. J Food Microbiol 99(2):135–146
Wood BJB & Holzapfel WH (1995) The Lactic Acid Bacteria: The Genera of Lactic Acid Bacteria Vol. 2. Chapman and Hall, London
Buchenhüskes HJ (1993) Selection criteria for lactic acid bacteria to be used as starter cultures in various food commodities. FEMS Microbiol Rev 12:253–272
Thapa S & Tamang JP (2006) Microbiological and physicocehmical changes during fermentation of kodo ko jaanr, a traditional alcoholic beverage of the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim. Indian J Microbiol 46:333–341
Tamang JP & Thapa S (2006) Fermentation dynamics during production of bhaati jaanr, a traditional fermented rice beverage of the Eastern Himalayas. Food Biotechnol 20:251–261
Uchimura T, Kojima Y & Kozaki M (1990) Studies on the main saccharifying microorganism in the Chinese starter of Bhutan “Chang poo”. J. Brewing Soc Japan 85(12):881–887
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tamang, J.P., Dewan, S., Tamang, B. et al. Lactic acid bacteria in Hamei and Marcha of North East India. Indian J Microbiol 47, 119–125 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-007-0024-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-007-0024-8