Utilization of unfermented cassava flour for the production of an indigenous African fermented food, agbelima

• Published in: World journal of microbiology & biotechnology 2005-10, Vol.21 (6-7), p.1201-1207
• Main Authors: Amoa-Awua, W.K, Owusu, M, Feglo, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of variance; Bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Cassava; Dominant species; Dough; Fermentation; fermented foods; Flour; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lactic acid bacteria; Lactobacillus brevis; Lactobacillus fermentum; Lactobacillus plantarum; Leuconostoc mesenteroides; Manihot esculenta; Microbiology; Pathogens; Salmonella typhimurium; starter cultures; Triticum aestivum; Variance analysis; Vibrio cholerae; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0959-3993; 1573-0972
• DOI: 10.1007/s11274-005-1441-7

Unfermented cassava flour, also called high quality cassava flour (HQCF) is used as a partial substitute for wheat flour in the baking industry. This work was carried out to produce an indigenous fermented cassava dough, agbelima, from high quality cassava flour in order to diversify uses for the flour. An isolate of each of the dominant species of lactic acid bacteria isolated from agbelima, was used to ferment reconstituted HQCF dough into agbelima, whilst pH changes, population on MRS, and the organoleptic quality were assessed. The antimicrobial properties of the fermenting samples against three enteric pathogens were also investigated. Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus fermentum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were isolated at levels of 10 super(10), 10 super(9), 10 super(9) and 10 super(8) c.f.u. g super(-1) respectively in agbelima. All isolates and a control sample, produced agbelima with pH of between 4.11 and 3.82 in 48h, and ANOVA showed no significant difference between the pH of the samples at P , 0.05. Spontaneous fermentation of the reconstituted dough was possible, because the flour was found to contain Lactobacillus plantarum at a level of 10 super(6) c.f.u. g super(-1) as well as the other species isolated from agbelima. Counts of Gram-positive catalase-negative rods and cocci on MRS in all the fermented samples were at levels of 10 super(8) to 10 super(9) c.f.u. g super(-1), with ANOVA showing no significant difference between the populations at P , 0.05. Three enteric pathogens, Salmonella typhimurium 9, Echerichia coli D2188 and Vibrio cholerae C-230, inoculated into the samples at 10 super(6) to 10 super(7) c.f.u. g super(-1) at the start of fermentation, could not be detected in 10g of any of the samples at the end of 48h fermentation. A taste panel preferred banku - a stiff porridge made from a combination of fermented maize dough and fermented cassava dough - prepared with fermented HQCF dough to banku prepared with a market sample of agbelima or reconstituted agbelima flour. Processing the highly perishable cassava roots into high quality cassava flour, therefore, offers a means for preserving cassava, which can subsequently be used for both industrial and traditional purposes.