Abstract
Pozol is an acidic, refreshing, and non-alcoholic traditional Mayan beverage made with nixtamalized corn dough that is fermented spontaneously. The extensive analysis of the microbiology, biochemistry and metaproteomics of pozol allowed the construction of a comprehensive image of the fermentation system. The main changes in both the substrate and the microbiota occurred in the first 9 h of fermentation. The increase in microorganisms correlated with the drop in pH and with the decrease in the contents of carbohydrates, lipids, and nitrogen, which shows that this stage has the highest metabolic activity. Bacterial proteins were mainly represented by those of lactic acid bacteria, and among them, the proteins from genus Streptococcus was overwhelmingly the most abundant. Yeast proteins were present in all the analyzed samples, while proteins from filamentous fungi increased up to 48 h. The metaproteomic approach allowed us to identify several previously unknown enzyme complexes in the system. Additionally, enzymes for hydrolysis of starch, hemicellulose and cellulose were found, indicating that all these substrates can be used as a carbon source by the microbiota. Finally, enzymes related to the production of essential intermediates involved in the synthesis of organic acids, acetoin, butanediol, fatty acids and amino acids important for the generation of compounds that contribute to the sensorial quality of pozol, were found.
Highlights
Pozol is a traditional refreshing, acidic and nonalcoholic beverage made from fermented nixtamalized maize dough
Since starch is the main carbohydrate in nixtamal and LAB the most abundant microorganisms, previous studies considered that amylolytic lactic acid bacteria (ALAB) should play a relevant role during fermentation, providing glucose and maltooligosaccharides for the nonamylolytic microbial community [4, 9]
The simultaneous analysis of the microbiology, biochemistry and metaproteomics of pozol allowed the construction of a comprehensive image of the fermentation system
Summary
Pozol is a traditional refreshing, acidic and nonalcoholic beverage made from fermented nixtamalized maize dough. It is consumed in Southeastern Mexico, in the Mayan region, as an important part of the diet and as a culturally important mainstay in traditional medicine and ceremonies [1, 2]. The grains are cooked in water with lime by a process known as nixtamalization; the kernels are subsequently washed to remove the lime. The fermented dough is suspended in water and consumed daily as a refreshing beverage [1, 3]. The soluble sugars present in maize drastically decrease, so it is logical to think that the main carbon source used during fermentation is starch
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