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Updated: Dec 20, 2025

The Cultivation, Growth, and Viability of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Quality Control Perspective
Published on: June 16, 2022
Changes in lactic acid bacteria and components of Awa-bancha by anaerobic fermentation
Hiroki Nishioka1,2,3, Tomofumi Mizuno4, Hitoshi Iwahashi5
1Food and Biotechnology Division, Tokushima Prefectural Industrial Technology Center , Tokushima, Japan.
Abstract:
Awa-bancha is a post-fermented tea produced in Naka and Kamikatsu, Tokushima, Japan. We investigated the lactic acid bacteria in each stage of production of Awa-bancha and evaluated the relationships with the components. Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from tea leaves cultured with de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) agar plates, and the species were identified by homology of the 16 S rRNA gene and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the recA gene to distinguish the Lactobacillus plantarum group. As a result, a variety of species were isolated from the raw tea leaves, and Lactobacillus pentosus was isolated most frequently after anaerobic fermentation. Regarding the tea leaf components, organic acids, such as lactic acid, increased, free amino acids decreased, and catechins changed owing to anaerobic fermentation. Our results suggest that the microbial flora mainly composed of L. pentosus is important in the anaerobic fermentation process for flavor formation of Awa-bancha.
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