Indigenous knowledge associated with the production of starters culture used to produce Beninese opaque sorghum beers

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims to document the indigenous Knowledge associated with the production of starters culture to be used for opaque sorghum beers manufacturing in Benin Methodology and results: A quantitative survey was carried out in the central and the northern regions of Benin. A total of ninety (90) processors of traditional beers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected information was related to the processing method of the starters' production, its shelf life as well as sociodemographic data on the producers. Five types of starters were identified during this investigation. Apart from the beer itself which can be used as starter, we can distinguish kpètè-kpètè; the fermentation calabash, the bag and the belt of fermentation. Among them, the fermentation calabash was mostly used by 74% (67/90) of beer producers followed by kpètè-kpètè 21% (19/90). In some cases, these starters were used in association with each other to speed up the fermentation process. All the producers were women with an average age of 38 years old. Among those women, about 73% (66/90) produce and sell the beer as principal activity. According to 56% (51/90) of the producers, the quality of the manufactured beer depends on the quality of the starter used. Many other factors such as the sorghum variety, the brewing technique can also affect the beer quality. It is reported by 70% (63/90) of producers that the storage duration reduces the fermentative ability of kpètè-kpètè. Some health-related properties such as the treatment of diarrhoea have been attributed to kpètè-kpètè by 73% (66/90) of the producers interviewed. Conclusion and application of results: the fermentation calabash is the most used starter by traditional beer producers because of the quality of the derived beer. The kpètè-kpètè comes in the second position but possesses the advantage of being used by people to cure humans and animals diseases. Further Journal of Applied Biosciences 88:8223-8234 ISSN 1997-5902 N'tcha et al. . J. Appl. Biosci. Indigenous knowledge associated with the production of starters culture used to produce Beninese opaque sorghum beers 8224 investigations are needed to identify the functional microorganisms involved in the kpètè-kpètè to better understanding its health-related attributes.

Resistance and Biofilm Production Profile of Potential Isolated from Kpètè-Kpètè Used to Produce Traditional Fermented Beer

“…The primary source of human infections is ingesting contaminated food [ 33 ]. Indeed, pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci and Enterobacteriaceae have been identified in African fermented cereal foods [ 34 ] and traditional fermented drinks [ 15 ]. Our study showed that the percentages of samples contaminated with these microorganisms were 60.64% of Enterobacteriaceae and 39.36% of staphylococci.…”

“…Although lactic acid bacteria can reduce the levels of pathogenic bacteria present in the drinks [ 7 , 8 , 12 , 13 ], some bacteria such as Enterobacter sakazaki , Klebsiella pneumonia , Escherichia coli , and Staphylococcus aureus remain resistant to the acidic environment and cooking process of the fermented foods [ 14 ]. Enterobacteriaceae in Tchoukoutou , sold in northern Benin, has been reported [ 15 ]. It is concerning that the bacteria found in beer can lead to food spoilage [ 16 , 17 ] and negatively impact individuals with health conditions or habitat disorders, such as sepsis, meningitis, endocarditis, peritonitis, or heart disease [ 18 ].…”

Antimicrobial Activity and Chemical Composition of “Kpètè-Kpètè”: A Starter of Benin Traditional Beer Tchoukoutou

“…The stains used for the antimicrobial test were composed of 12 references strains ( Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, S. epidermidis T22695, Proteus mirabilis A24974, P. vulgaris A25015, Micrococcus luteus , Streptococcus oralis , Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, E. coli O157: H7 ATTC 700728, Salmonella typhi R 30951401 , Candida albicans MHMR, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853), 15 clinical and food isolated methicillin resistance S. aureus (MRSA), 2 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase E. coli strains, and 11 lactic acid bacteria isolated previously from “tchoukoutou” [ 12 ].…”

“…In Benin, the starter of the most popular traditional sorghum beer named “tchoukoutou” is reported to be used to cure several infections such as stomach pains and diarrhea [12]. However, a part of the preliminary study conducted in 2012 by Kayodé et al [18] showed that there is no scientific evidence to support the traditional use of the tchoukoutou's starter named “kpètè-kpètè” in infection treatments.…”

“…In spite of its lack of scientific certification, the traditional medicine is known to be efficient to cure several diseases [ 10 ]. Among the traditional knowledge, the use of fermented beverage (particularly their lactic bacteria content) to overcome some bacterial infections [ 11 , 12 ] and food conservation [ 13 ] is current. So, the use of lactic acid bacteria could be considered as an alternative to control resistant pathogenic bacterial strains.…”