Cocoa Fermentation I : Indentification and Metabolites Study of Natrural Cocoa Fermentation Microorganisms

Abstract

840 isolated microorganisms during cocoa fermentation were studied. Sixhundred and thirty isolated bacteria were found in 4 families as Lactobacillaceae, Micro-coccaceae, Bacillaceae, Aectobactereae and in 5 genera of Lactobacillus sp., Micrococcus sp.Bacillus sp., Acetobacter sp. and Gluconobacter sp. Other 210 isolated yeasts were in family of Sporobolomycetaceae, Saccharomycetaceae and in genus of Candida sp., Kluyveromyces sp., and Saccharomyces sp. Two hundred and ten isolates each of yeast, bacteria and acetic acid bacteria were investigated for their efficiencies in alcohol (yeast), enzyme pectinase (yeast and bacteria) and acetic acid (acitic acid bacteria) formation. Yeasts produced ethyl alcohol in the amount of 0-10 mg/100 ml. Pectinase-producing yeasts and bacteria produced enzyme pectinase showed pectin degradation clear zone 0-9 mm. and 0-6 mm., respectively. Acetic acid bacteria produced acetic 0-0.4 gm/100 ml. According to the results of metabolites produced, eleven isolated microorganisms were chosen for further cocoa fermentation studied. The selected alcohol-producing yeasts were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (KU-Y77), Candida utilis (KU-Y79), Candida krusei (KU-Y125); pectinase-producing yeasts and bacteria were Saccharomyces chevalier (KU-Y150) and Bacillus sp. (KU-B190), respectively; acetic bacteria were Acetobacter ranceus (KU-A40), Gluconobacter oxydans (KU-A45), Acetobacter acetic (KU-A72; KU-A187), Acetobacter pasteuriences (KU-A101) and Acetobacter persoxydans (KU-A132)