Isolation and characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from ‘Pakkat su’- A traditional fermented food of the Tai Phake community of Assam

Abstract

Abstract Background Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) plays an important role in the fermentation of traditional food of ethnic communities across the globe. This study isolated and identified LAB from ‘Pakkat su’, vegetable-based fermented food of the Tai Phake community of Assam. Pure microbial cultures were screened for their probiotic properties, viz., tolerance to acid and bile, bile salt hydrolysis, resistance against antibiotics, antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, and cell surface characteristics. Result Three isolates from pure cultures showed bile, pH and bile tolerance and non-hemolytic and non-pathogenic properties. Antagonistic effects of these isolates were observed against E.coli ATCC-10536 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC-BAA-1026. These potent bacterial isolates were identified as new strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus based on 16SrRNA sequences which were submitted to GenBank database with sequential accession number OQ996876, OQ997380 and OQ998330. Conclusion These results indicate that microbes associated with ‘Pakkat su’ production are good candidates for probiotic production and can be considered for potential application as commercial probiotic to confer health benefits to consumers. It also implies that ‘pakkat su’ can be used as vehicles for probiotic delivery.