Molecular identification of Bacillus spp as starter culture for the production of Ugba (Pentraclethra macrophylla), a Nigerian fermented condiment

Isolation, physiological and molecular identification of Bacillus spp for the development of starter culture in ugba production were carried out using amplification and partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Ugba seeds were fermented following traditional method and sixty-two (62) bacteria were isolated from the fermented ugba samples and fifty-five (55) characterized as gram positive, rod-shaped, motile, spore-forming and catalase positive. Seven isolates were suspected to be Micrococcus and Staphylococcus spp. They were gram negative, cocci and catalase negative. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene fragment analyzed from isolates confirmed the organisms as Bacillus cereus (30), Bacillus subtilis (17) and Bacillus licheniformis (8). Bacillus subtilis was the dominant species in ugba fermentation as it had the highest recorded number of isolates.Keywords: Molecular, ugba, starter culture, Bacillus spp, fermentatio