Isolation, identification and characterisation of the dominant microorganisms of kule naoto: the Maasai traditional fermented milk in Kenya
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Date
2004Author
Julius, Maina Mathara
Ulrich, Schillinger
Phillip, Museve Kutima
Samuel K, Mbugua
Wilhelm H, Holzapfel
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
From 22 samples of kule naoto, the traditional fermented milk products cf the Maasai in Kenya, 300 lactic acid bacterial strains were isolated and phenotypically characterised by their ability to ferment different carbohydrates and by additional biochemical tests. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), especially the genus Lactobacillus, foIIowed by Enterococcus, Lactococcus and Leuconostoc, dominated the microflora of these samples. The major Lactobacillus species was Lactobacillus plantarum (60%), with a lower frequency of isolation for Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Most strains produced enzymes such as I">-galactosidase and peptidases, which are of relevance to cultured dairy product processing, and exhibited similar patterns of enzymatic activity between species. Enterobacteriaceae could not be detected in 15 out of 22 samples (detection level !02/ml). Conversely, yeasts (detection level !OI/ml) were detected in those samples in which Enterobacteriaceae were not found. The pH values of all these samples were <4.5
Keywords: Maasai; Lactic acid bacteria; Traditional fermented milk; Kule naoto
Citation
International Journal of Food Microbiology 94 (2004) 269-278Publisher
Department of Food Technology and Nutrition Federal Research Centre for Nutrition. Institute of Hygiene and Toxicology. Haid-und-Neu-Str. 9. D-76J3/ Karlsruhe. Germany Department of Food Science and Technology. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology