The Involvement of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Modulating the Levels of Biogenic Amino Acids within Fermented Tarasas Products

Abstract

Combining turnip roots and leaves with cooked wheat grits and salt makes Tarasas, a fermented dish from Iraqi Kurdistan. The fermentation process takes 15 days, to produce a ready-to-eat dish. This study aims to identify the bacteria responsible and the role of wheat grits during the 0, 5, 10, and 15 days of fermentation for forming biogenic amines in Tarasas. The results demonstrate that pH levels during the fermentation periods decreased gradually. Microbial analysis showed an increased lactic acid bacteria count during Tarasas fermentation. The study also investigates how adding Lactobacillus plantarum, and yogurt starters (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) affects the process. The current study shows that adding yogurt starters at 3% increased biogenic amine levels, On the other side, using Lactobacillus plantarum as a starter at 3% reduced biogenic amine levels compared with treatments that ferment spontaneously. Additionally, decreasing the wheat grit content to 50% (of the total weight of wheat grits) was associated with a decrease in biogenic amines in the Tarasas. The sensory evaluation results also revealed that the treatments containing Lactobacillus plantarum were more acceptable to the consumer than the traditional treatment or the one with added yogurt.