Functional and flavour-enhancing properties of Staphylococcus sp. from Napham

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Food Science
• Fermentation Technology

Background:

• Napham is a traditional fermented food from Assam, India, made from Colocasia esculenta shoots and dried fish.
• Despite its cultural importance and nutritional value, the beneficial microbes in Napham are not well understood.
• Characterizing these microbes is crucial for understanding its fermentation and potential applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize multifunctional bacterial isolates from Napham.
• To find potential starter cultures with desirable functional and flavor-enhancing properties.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of promising isolates for food fermentation.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 48 bacterial isolates for enzymatic activities and biosafety.
• In vitro assessment of gastrointestinal stress tolerance (acid, phenol, salt), auto-aggregation, and adhesion for four selected isolates.
• Sensory evaluation and volatile compound analysis of curd and rice beverage models fermented with isolate NAP/4.
• Identification of promising isolate NAP/4 using 16S rRNA sequencing.

Main Results:

• Isolate NAP/4 demonstrated superior tolerance to gastrointestinal stresses, strong auto-aggregation, and adhesion capabilities.
• NAP/4 exhibited a favorable in vitro safety profile (γ-hemolysis, broad antibiotic susceptibility).
• Fermentation with NAP/4 in curd and rice beverage models enhanced sensory qualities and produced diverse flavor volatiles.

Conclusions:

• Isolate NAP/4 (Staphylococcus sp.) is a promising multifunctional candidate for starter cultures in food fermentation.
• Further genomic evaluation and in vivo validation are necessary to confirm its safety and efficacy for clean-label formulations and controlled fermentation.
• This study contributes to understanding the microbiota of traditional fermented foods and developing novel starter cultures.