Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Raw Material for Cocoa Bean Fermentation in the Brazilian Amazon
Gilson Celso Albuquerque Chagas Junior,
Nelson Rosa Ferreira,
Maria Beatriz A. Gloria,
Rubens Menezes Gobira,
Felipe de Andrade Maia,
Alessandra Santos Lopes
Affiliations
Gilson Celso Albuquerque Chagas Junior
Laboratório de Processos Biotecnológicos (LABIOTEC), Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos (PPGCTA), Instituto de Tecnologia (ITEC), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Campus Guamá, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Nelson Rosa Ferreira
Laboratório de Processos Biotecnológicos (LABIOTEC), Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos (PPGCTA), Instituto de Tecnologia (ITEC), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Campus Guamá, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Maria Beatriz A. Gloria
Cedafar, PFA, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
Rubens Menezes Gobira
Laboratórios de Pesquisa Sistemática em Biotecnologia e Biodiversidade Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais (ICEN), UFPA, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Campus Guamá, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Felipe de Andrade Maia
Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA), Instituto de Tecnologia (ITEC), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Campus Guamá, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Alessandra Santos Lopes
Laboratório de Processos Biotecnológicos (LABIOTEC), Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos (PPGCTA), Instituto de Tecnologia (ITEC), Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Campus Guamá, Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
The prevalent microbiota during cocoa fermentation is one of the main factors responsible for the chemical and biochemical changes that lead to desirable chocolate characteristics. However, the microbiota can be affected by several factors, including the edaphoclimatic conditions, which are typical of the production region. The objective of this study was to identify LAB in Amazonian cocoa prior to fermentation. LAB were isolated using MRS agar. By sequencing the 16S region of isolated LAB in MRS agar, it was possible to identify five LAB species that were registered in the GenBank database (accessions from MT117900 to MT117915). They included Pediococcus acidilactici, which was the most prevalent, followed by Lactobacillus farraginis, L. parafarraginis, L. zeae, and L. casei. Studies are needed to ascertain their specific roles and impact on cocoa quality. It is likely that they can be available as starter cultures to enhance the quality characteristics of chocolate.
