DIVERSITYOF LACTICACID BACTERIAINVOLVEDIN THE FERMENTATION OF THE TAMARIND FRUIT (TAMARINDUS INDICA) COTE DIVOIRE

In Cote dIvoire, tamarind fruits, from trees growing in the northern part of the country, are used for various food purposes (seasoning dishes, producing acidic beverages, etc.), typically after a fermentation process. These fermented fruits could therefore represent a source of beneficial fermentative microorganisms for the development of starters in biotechnology. A study was therefore undertaken to determine the diversity of lactic acid bacteria involved in tamarind fermentation. For this purpose, a total of 400 tamarind samples were collected from various markets in the cities of Korhogo and Abidjan. Lactic acid bacteria from these samples were screened and counted on MRS agar, and then subjected to identification. A total of 664 strains were isolated, of which 430 isolates were retained. Genus characterization was performed by 16S rRNA gene PCR. For species determination of the isolates, MALDI-TOF proteomics was applied. The results obtained showed that the lactic acid bacteria isolated from tamarind belong to the genera Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Lacococcus, and Weissella, with a dominance of the genus Lactobacillus (63%) compared to the total number of identified strains, followed by the genus Pediococcus (16%) and finally the genera Weissella (12%) and Lactococcus (8%). The genus Lactobacillus was represented by Lactobacillus plantarum (36%), Lactobacillus fermentum (20.5%), Lactobacillus acidophilus (20%), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (23.5%). The genus Pediococcuswas represented by Pediococcusacidilactici, the Lactococcus strains were solely composed of Lactococcus lactis. As for the genus Weissella, only Weissella sp. was involved in tamarind fermentation.