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A bacterial community analysis, using a culture-independent method (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), detected 17 species of bacteria including species of the genera Tetragenococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Weissella Halanaerobium, Clostridium, and Sphingomonas in a traditional salty-fermented fish paste known as pla-ra or pa-daek in Thailand and Laos, which is used as a storage-stable multi-purpose seasoning. The representative genus of lactic acid bacteria seemed to vary in the 10 products collected from Thailand and Laos. Tetragenococci were common in products from central Thailand and Vientiane in Laos which had salinities of not less than 11% and pH values ranging from 5.6 to 6.1. However, lactobacilli were common in products from northern Thailand which had the lowest salinities (8.3–8.6%) and pH values (4.5–4.8) of all the samples examined. Two Lactobacillus and one Tetragenococcus species were detected in one product from northeastern Thailand containing 10% salt. These results suggest that salinity in pla-ra/pa-daek is an important determinant of the representative genus of lactic acid bacteria such as, Tetragenococcus or Lactobacillus. Additionally, differences in the acidity between these two groups seemed to be related to the production of d-/l-lactic acid in the lactic acid bacteria in each product. This is the first study to report a correlation between bacterial community structure and taste components in pla-ra/pa-daek products from various regions. This scientific work on a traditional fermented food will be useful in helping local producers meet differing consumer preferences in various regions.

In the present study, we have obtained two exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing thermophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that were isolated from tropical fruits of Thailand. The two strains, designated LY45 and PY45, were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillus amylovorus, respectively. Both plantderived LAB strains, which produce neutral EPSs together with the acidic one, can grow vigorously at 45°C and even at 50°C. Hyaluronidase (EC 3.2.1.35), which catalyzes the degradation of hyaluronic acid, activates an inflammatory reaction. Interestingly, EPSs produced by the LY45 and PY45 strains were found to inhibit hyaluronidase activity at the same order of IC 50 values as did sodium cromoglicate and dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, which are well-known as anti-inflammatory agents. The LY45-derived neutral EPS consists of glucose and mannose as monosaccharide components, whereas the acidic one contains mainly mannose, together with glucose and galactose. On the other hand, although Lactobacillus amylovorus PY45 also produces neutral and acidic EPSs, the main monosaccharide in both EPSs is mannose, and glucose is a minor component. Furthermore, the PY45 strain may be probiotically and industrially useful because the microorganism can utilize starch and glycogen as carbon sources. Key words exopolysaccharide; Lactobacillus amylovorus; Pediococcus pentosaceus; thermophilic lactic acid bacteria; anti-inflammatory substanceTraditionally, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been useful for producing fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, and cheese. LAB-Gram-positive bacteria-are non-pathogenic and are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganisms; therefore, they have been the focus of attention for their industrial importance. 1)Microorganisms that contribute to human health are called probiotics. This word is internationally defined as "living microorganisms conferring a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts."2) We have isolated many kinds of LAB strains from plant sources such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, and medicinal plants to establish a plantderived LAB library with more than 600 strains. We have demonstrated that some strains stocked in the LAB library are useful for enhancing intestinal immunity, improving liver function, and preventing metabolic syndrome. [3][4][5][6] LAB fermentation often proceeds even at low temperatures, causing the overgrowth of LABs. As the result, the degradation of flavors is proceeded and affected with taste of the fermented foods. Since thermophilic LAB strains hard to ferment at lower temperatures, therefore, if the thermophile ones are successfully isolated, they will contribute to prevent over-fermentation. In the present study, we isolated 28 strains of thermophilic LAB from tropical fruits of Thailand. In the isolates, we found two exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing LAB strains. The LY45 strain was isolated from lychee, and the PY45 strain was obtained from pineapple. These strains were identified as Pediococcus (P.) pentosaceus and Lactob...

Pa-som is a traditional salty fermented food made from varieties of freshwater fish with garlic and rice in Laos. A similar product, plaa-som, is made in Thailand. To investigate the fermentation process of pa-som, lactic acid production and pH were monitored during laboratoryscale production of pa-som. Furthermore, the variety of bacteria involved and their succession during fermentation were examined using culture-independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Dand L-lactic acid production and a decrease in pH were observed in the samples after 1 day of fermentation. The lactic acid content and pH continued to increase and decrease, respectively, until 4 days of fermentation. Overall, six lactic acid bacteria and eight other indigenous bacteria species were detected during pa-som fermentation. Among the lactic acid bacteria detected, two Lactococcus and one Weissella species were detected in samples after 1-4 days of fermentation, suggesting that these three species play major roles in pa-som fermentation from the initial phase. This is the first report to investigate the fermentation process in pa-som at the microbial level. This research approach should be applicable to a wide variety of pa-som and related fermented fishery products in Laos to help understand their microbial diversity and to identify beneficial bacterial species for improving quality.

Significance and Impact of the Study: The use of Enterobacter ludwigii strain SK01 as a proteolytic bacterial starter culture improved the quality of khanom-jeen noodles. Compared with khanom-jeen noodles produced without E. ludwigii strain SK01, those produced using this strain showed increased tensile strength, breaking length, brightness and whiteness. These findings will be useful for the development of specific and controllable methods for producing khanom-jeen noodles with desirable texture and colour. AbstractKhanom-jeen are traditional Thai fermented rice noodles with a characteristic flavour and texture. Based on their ability to hydrolyse rice proteins, five strains of proteolytic bacteria were isolated from fermented rice flour used to produce noodles in Thailand. Enterobacter ludwigii strain SK01 showed the highest degree of rice protein hydrolysis among the five strains and was selected as a starter culture for khanom-jeen production. The viable count of micro-organisms, acidity, pH, and protein and starch contents were compared throughout the fermented rice production with and without the SK01 strain. The pH of fermented rice increased on the first day of solid-state fermentation and subsequently decreased to 3Á7-3Á8 under both conditions. The protein content of rice significantly decreased from 80 to 18Á2 AE 0Á5 mg g À1 and 26 AE 0Á6 mg g À1 during fermentation with and without the SK01 strain, respectively. The tensile strength, breaking length, brightness, and whiteness, which are important factors for the texture and appearance of khanom-jeen, were improved using the SK01 strain to ferment rice. The results of this laboratory-scale study indicated that the use of the proteolytic SK01 strain in fermented rice production can improve the quality of khanom-jeen noodles.Letters in Applied Microbiology ISSN 0266-8254

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Sweet glutinous rice products or khao-mak in Thai were prepared by fermenting cooked glutinous rice (RD6 variety) using traditional starter cultures from Samut Sakhon (SSK) and Pathum Thani (PTT) Provinces at room temperature (28±2 °C) for 3 days. Amylolytic activities of microbial excisting in the traditional starter cultures were tested. Meanwhile, types and amounts of microbial growth in fermented rice products were investigated. Both traditional dried starter cultures showed strong amylolytic activity after inoculation for 2 and 3 days in starch agar. Microbiological profiles of rice fermentation were varied in total plate count, yeast and molds over the fermentation period. Different starter cultures resulted in a wide variation of end products with diverse chemical, microbiological and morphology properties; however those changes exhibited similar trends in all treatments. As fermentation time increased, protein content remained unchanged while total soluble solids, pH, acidity, sugar and alcohol content markedly increased compared with unfermented cooked rice. PTT showed products with higher acidity and alcohol content (0.50%, 2.58%) than SSK (0.31%, 1.85%). Morphological examination of rice grains revealed that microbial growth started from the outer surface and then moved inside the rice grains with greater corrosion was observed as fermentation time increased. Pasting and gelatinization properties of the rice flour were also strongly affected by fermentation.

throughout Thailand sell products to local markets, as freshly made khanom jeen noodles are preferred by consumers (Kusano 2017). To meet increasing market demand, many of these small-to medium-sized producers now use mass-produced fermented rice flour products purchased from suburban factories, despite having previously prepared fermented rice flour themselves (Kusano 2017).Fermented rice flour used for making khanom jeen noodles is typically produced as follows: The rice materials are first soaked in water and then drained in a sieve container. Wet rice in the container is covered with a plastic sheet and left to stand overnight under ambient conditions to undergo solid-state fermentation. The rice is then washed with water and the same process is repeated for a few days. The fermented rice is then wet-milled and precipitated in an approximately 2% saltwater pool overnight to undergo liquid-state fermentation, after which the supernatant is replaced with fresh salt water. After a few days of liquid-