Effect of ropy and capsular exopolysaccharides producing strain of Lactobacillus plantarum 162RM on characteristics and functionality of fermented milk and soft Kareish type cheese

The contribution of selected ropy and capsular Lactobacillus plantarum 162RM on texture of fermented milk as well as on the functionality of kareish cheese was established in this study. The cell suspension of this strain was used in combination with commercial starter cultures MY900 (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. Bulgaricus/I> and Streptococcus thermophilus) and MM100 (Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris and Lactococcus lactis ssp. diacetyllactis) obtained from Rhodia Food to manufacture fermented milk and Kareish cheese respectively. The final pH of fermented milks manufactured with the combination of starter MY900 and different concentration of strain L. plantarum 162RM were not significantly different. Fermented milk hardness, consistency, and adhesiveness increased significantly when 8 % (V/V) of strain Lactobacillus plantarum 162RM was used. This strain produces exopolysaccharides (EPS), which by attaching to the casein matrix increases and improves the texture characteristics of fermented milk. The Experimental Kareish Cheese (EKC), made by pairing commercial starter MM100 with 8% (v/v) of L. plantarum 162RM were also compared to Control Kareich Cheese (CKC) in terms of their moisture content and textural properties. The EKC showed the greatest moisture retention and the use of ropy and capsular strain of L. plantarum 162RM affects significantly some textural properties of EKC cheese, relative to the control. The CKC samples were gummier and more chewy than the EKC fresh samples. It is therefore evident that, used in appropriate amount, this strain can increase moisture content in low fat Kareish cheese leading to improvement of textural properties. Key Words: Fermented milks, kareish cheese, ropy and capsular strain, moisture, textural properties. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.3(10) 2004: 512-51

Antimicrobial and Safety Properties of Lactobacilli Isolated from two Cameroonian Traditional Fermented Foods

Twenty-one Lactobacillus isolates from “Sha’a” (a maize – based fermented beverage) and “Kossam” (traditionally fermented cow milk) were selected in accordance with their antagonistic activities and tested for their bacteriocinogenic potential as well as safety properties. These isolates were preliminarily identified as Lactobacillus plantarum (62%), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (24%), Lactobacillus fermentum (10%) and Lactobacillus coprophilus (4%) based on phenotypic characteristics and rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting. Twelve (57.1%) out of the 21 strains tested were found to be bacteriocin producers, as revealed by the sensitivity of their antimicrobial substances to proteolytic enzymes (Trypsin, Proteinase K) and inhibition of other Lactobacillus spp. These bacteriocinogenic strains showed no positive haemolytic and gelatinase activities and proved to be sensitive to penicillin G, ampicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and doxycyclin, but resistant to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The bacteriocins showed a broad inhibitory activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, several of which are classified as especially dangerous by the World Health Organization, as well as Multidrug-resistant strains. These include Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovare Typhi, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Shigella flexneri. These Lactobacillus strains are promising candidates for use as protective cultures in food fermentation

Methods of preparation and nutritional evaluation of dishes consumed in a malaria endemic zone in Cameroon (Ngali II)

This study deals with the description of the methods of preparation and determination of the nutritional potential of dishes consumed by Cameroonians living in a rural area, which is a malaria endemic zone, called Ngali II. The dishes consumed are prepared from leguminous seeds, seeds of the Cucurbitaceae family (egusi seeds), green leafy vegetables, tubers, cereals unripe bananas and plantains. The contents in moisture, ash, proteins, lipids, crude fibres and carbohydrates were determined by standard AOAC methods. The results obtained are expressed in percentage f.w for moisture and percentage d.w for ash, proteins, lipids, crude fibres and carbohydrates. The moisture content ranges from 57.77- 6.17; ash, 0.66-14.74; proteins, 1.49-37.25; lipids, 0.26-54.98; crude fibres, 1.43-17.82 and carbohydrates, 3.51-95.76. This study revealed that a higher consumption of dishes made from leguminous seeds, egusi seeds, green leafy vegetables, and low consumption of tubers, unripe bananas and plantains will lead to a good nutritional balance.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (3), pp. 273-278, 200

Effect of ropy and capsular exopolysaccharides producing strain of Lactobacillus plantarum 162RM on characteristics and functionality of fermented milk and soft Kareish type cheese

The contribution of selected ropy and capsular Lactobacillus plantarum   162RM on texture of fermented milk as well as on the functionality of kareish cheese was established in this study. The cell suspension of this strain was used in combination with commercial starter cultures MY900 (Lactobacillus delbrueckii   ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus   ) and MM100 (Lactococcus lactis   ssp.lactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp. L. plantarum 162RM affects significantly some textural properties of EKC cheese, relative to the control. The CKC samples were gummier and more chewy than the EKC fresh samples. It is therefore evident that, used in appropriate amount, this strain can increase moisture content in low fat Kareish cheese leading to improvement of textural properties. L. plantarum 162RM were not significantly different. Fermented milk hardness, consistency, and adhesiveness increased significantly when 8 % (V/V) of strain Lactobacillus plantarum 162RM was used. This strain produces exopolysaccharides (EPS), which by attaching to the casein matrix increases and improves the texture characteristics of fermented milk. The Experimental Kareish Cheese (EKC), made by pairing commercial starter MM100 with 8% (v/v) of L. plantarum 162RM were also compared to Control Kareich Cheese (CKC) in terms of their moisture content and textural properties. The EKC showed the greatest moisture retention and the use of ropy and capsular strain of L. plantarum 162RM affects significantly some textural properties of EKC cheese, relative to the control. The CKC samples were gummier and more chewy than the EKC fresh samples. It is therefore evident that, used in appropriate amount, this strain can increase moisture content in low fat Kareish cheese leading to improvement of textural properties

Application du procédé séchage-friture aux amandes de karité : influence sur la composition en matières insaponifiables du beurre

The effect of deep fat frying dehydration conditions of shea kernels on the composition and properties of the unsaponifiable fraction of its butter was carried out by using a central composite experimental design. Both content and composition of the unsaponifiable matters depend on the thickness of kernels, the temperature of frying, the kernels/butter weight ratio and the time of frying. Butters with high content of unsaponifiable (> 6%) are extracted from the kernels with thickness less than 10 mm fried at less than 150 °C. The content of triterpenic alcohols is over 70% in low temperature frying conditions (< 150 °C) of kernels of thickness under 10mm, fried during 4-8 minutes under a weight ratio lower than 0.060. The quantity of hydrocarbons is between 4 and 57%, depending on frying conditions of the kernels. The best result is obtained by frying during 2-8 minutes kernels with less than 8 mm of thickness at a temperature less than 150 °C in a kernels/butter ratio of 0.035-0.060. The sterols content remains lower than 7%depending on the frying conditions by 68%

Oils of insects and larvae consumed in Africa: potential sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids

The objective of this paper is to present the beneficial aspects of some insects consumed in sub-Saharan Africa, based on examples of insects consumed in Cameroon, to present their potential as sources of lipids and essential fatty acids. In Africa, termites, larvae of raphia weevil, caterpillars, crickets, bees, maggots, butterflies, weevil, etc. are significant sources of food. These insects belong mainly to the orders of : Isoptera, Orthoptera, Dictyoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera. Depending on the species, insects are rich in proteins, minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Zn, P, Fe) and/or vitamins (thiamine/B1, riboflavine/B2, pyridoxine/B6, acid pantothenic, niacin). The composition of oils extracted from the following six insects consumed in Cameroon was investigated : larvaes of raphia weevil (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), crickets (Homorocoryphus nitidulus), grasshopper (Zonocerus variegates), termites (Macrotermes sp.), a variety of caterpillars (Imbrasia sp.) and an unidentified caterpillar from the forest (UI carterpillar). The extraction yields of oil were 53.75%, 67.25%, 9.12%, 49.35%, 24.44% and 20.17% respectively for raphia weevil larvae, crickets, devastating crickets, termites, Imbrasia and UI caterpillar. The oil from raphia weevil mainly contains 37.60% of palmitoleic acid and 45.46% of linoleic acid. The oil from crickets is principally made up of palmitoleic acid (27.59%), linoleic acid (45.63%) and α-linolenic acid (16.19%). The oil from grasshoppers is composed of palmitoleic acid (23.83%), oleic acid (10.71%), linoleic acid (21.07%), α-linolenic acid (14.76%) and γ-linolenic acid (22.54%). The main components of termite oil are : palmitic acid (30.47%), oleic acid (47.52%) and linoleic acid (8.79%). Palmitic acid (36.08%) and linolenic acid (38.01%) are the two dominant fatty acids of Imbrasia oil. As Imbrasia oil, UI caterpillar oil is composed of palmitic acid (30.80%) and linolenic acid (41.79%). Stearic acid (7.04%), oleic acid (8.56%) and linoleic acid (6.59%) are also present. These results show that these insects are considerable sources of fat. Their oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, of which essential fatty acids are linoleic and linolenic acids. The ratio PUFA/SFA, in the majority of cases is higher than 0.8, associated with desirable levels of cholesterol