Abstract
The present study develop various microorganisms for starter culture purpose from fermented sweet potato and used the developed starters in the fermentation of sweet potato and products for consistent quality product with improved hygiene. Sweet potato was purchased from different markets and microorganisms were isolated and developed as starters. Comparative studies on different starters for the fermentation of sweet potato for 48 h were investigated. The microbial count of the starter cultures increased as fermentation period increased from 6.06 to 9.14 cfu/ml, the pH reduced from 5.49 to 3.28 while the total titrable acid increased from 0.001 to 0.04. Amongst the various starters used, the use of the mixed cultures (combination of lactic acid bacteria L201 and yeast 601A) as starter cultures in the fermentation of sweet potato for 48 h had the best attributes in terms of texture, flavour, rate of fermentation and consistency when prepared as meal (bolus). The mineral analysis showed that most of the mineral content in the sample increased after fermentation for calcium (Ca) 2043.9 to 2177.5 ppm and Mn 6.29 to 26.32 ppm. The functional properties of the fermented sweet potato flour produced showed moisture content of 10.42%, water absorption capacity of 1.77 g/g and swelling capacity of 86.67%. Key words: Starter culture, fermentation, sweet potato, mineral analysis, functional properties.
Highlights
Fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria or a combination under anaerobic conditions.The primary benefit of fermentation is the conversion of sugars and other carbohydrates to usable end products
Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were isolated from sweet potato
Oluwole et al (2012) reported that lactic acid bacteria and yeast were isolated from sweet potato
Summary
Fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohol and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria or a combination under anaerobic conditions.The primary benefit of fermentation is the conversion of sugars and other carbohydrates to usable end products. Starter cultures are living microorganisms of defined combination used for fermentation purposes They help to ellicit specific changes in the chemical composition, nutritional value and sensorial properties of the substrate (Opere et al, 2012) and they are generally recognised as safe (Augirre and Collins, 1993). Their properties are as follows: They are harmless, initiate and control the fermentation process, typical for product, help in rapid acid formation, and help protect against spoilage organisms. This study investigates the possibility of developing indigenous starter culture for the fermentation of sweet potato into flour and this will help in promoting food and nutrition security in developing countries. According to Sanni (1993) and Kimaryo et al (2000), the use of the starter cultures will assists in optimizing the fermentation process and help in alleviating the organoleptic and microbiological instability problems
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