Bacterial compositions of indigenous Lanna (Northern Thai) fermented foods and their potential functional properties

Many indigenous fermented foods of Northern Thailand and neighbouring regions have traditionally been known for their health benefits. In this study, we explored the communities of bacteria in selected fermented foods which are commonly consumed among ethnic groups around Northern Thailand, for which information on their microbial compositions or their functional properties is still limited. The selected food groups included Thua Nao (alkaline fermented soybean product), Nham (fermented pork sausage/loaf), Nam phak (fermented Chinese cabbage) and Miang (fermented leaves from Miang Tea trees). Bacteria in these fermented foods were isolated and enumerated. Bacterial communities were determined using a culture-independent (pyrosequencing) approach. Lactic acid bacteria were recovered from all of these fermented food samples, with levels ranging from 3.1 to 7.5 log CFU/g throughout the fermentation processes. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene from the fermented food samples using 454-pyrosequencing resulted in 113,844 sequences after quality evaluation. Lactic acid bacteria were found in high proportions in Nham, Nam phak and Miang. Bacillus was predominant in Thua nao, in which significant proportions of Lactic acid bacteria of the family Leuconostocaceae were also found. Groups of lactic acid bacteria found varied among different food samples, but three genera were predominant: Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc, of which many members are recognised as probiotics. The results showed that these traditional Thai fermented food products are rich sources of beneficial bacteria and can potentially be functional/probiotic foods.