Starter culture evaluation for the production of ugba from African oil bean seed Pentaclethra macrophylla

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 127 - 132
• Main Authors: Mbajunwa, O.K, Akingbala, J.O, Mulongoy, K, Oguntimein, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.1998; Wiley; Published for the Society of Chemical Industry by Elsevier Applied Science
• Subjects: aerobes; African oil bean seed; anaerobes; Bacillus cereus; Bacillus subtilis; beans; Biological and medical sciences; color; cultured product starters; fermentation; fermented foods; food acceptability; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Kocuria rosea; Micrococcus; odors; Pentaclethra macrophylla; plate count; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas chlororaphis; single strain starter; Staphylococcus saprophyticus; starter culture; texture; ugba; Nigeria; Africa; Legumes; Seasonings; Seeds; Bacillus subtilis; Selection; Laboratory scale; Fermentation starter; Processing quality; Bacillaceae; Fermentation; Fermented product; Traditional food stuff; Bacillales; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Bacteria; Isolate; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(199805)77:1<127::AID-JSFA17>3.0.CO;2-4

Ugba was prepared in the laboratory by the traditional method from the African oil bean seeds Pentaclethra macrophylla. Microorganisms were isolated from the fermenting slices of the beans at 24 h intervals for 5 days and characterised. The results show that only bacteria were isolated from the bean slices. Fungi and yeasts were not isolated. The bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Micrococcus roseus and Staphylococci saprophyticus. The identified bacterial isolates were evaluated for their ability to ferment the cooked oil bean slices into ugba with its desirable quality characteristics of colour, texture, aroma and overall acceptability. Bacillus subtilis was significantly (P < 0.05) more active in fermenting the oil bean than the other isolates. Pseudomonas chlororaphis fermented the oil bean actively but caused greening of the slices probably due to the production of the green chloraphin pigment. Staphylococcus saprophyticus, M roseus and B cereus appeared unimportant in the fermentation and may be contaminants. Bacillus subtilis was therefore selected as the single starter culture for ugba production.