Abstract:
Saltpans are a reservoir to microorganisms with proven biotechnological applications. Bacillus licheniformis has been reported in food fermentation and this bacterial isolate from Goan saltpan, fulfilling safety and probiotic attributes was used as a starter culture to develop a fermented powder using a cowpea cultivar var Goa Cowpea (GC3) with enhanced nutritional properties. The potential probiotic was tested negative for enterotoxin genesand endotoxins, thus confirming its safety. This study was conducted to assess the fermentation ability of B. licheniformis PQ098138 in GC3 and to assess its effect on protein content, anti-nutritional factors like phytate and non-dietary polysaccharides. B. licheniformis resulted in effective fermentation of GC3 with a desirable viable count of GC3 slurry (11 log cycle), change in pH, TTA and viscosity. This fermentation resulted in an increase in the protein content from 12.06 plus-minus 0.01 percent to 25.32 plus-minus 0.01 percent at 16 h with the detection of 16 free amino acids. There was also a corresponding increase in free amino nitrogen on 16 h fermentation. The fermented GC3 slurry was developed into lyophilized powder which displayed viable count at a desirable level (greater than 7 log cfu/ g). A considerable reduction in phytate, raffinose family oligosaccharides and dietary fiber of fermented GC3 was observed. The use of starter culture facilitated controlled fermentation, eliminating the chances of contamination of powder with pathogens and spoilage organisms.
