Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts isolated from the starter doughs for Chinese steamed buns in Thailand

Abstract: Isolation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts from the starter dough of Chinese steamed buns from four different commercial sources in Thailand was carried out. Thirty-one lactic acid bacteria and eight yeast strains were isolated. Total counts of LAB were from 1.8×104 to 108 colonies/g sample, whilst yeasts were very low from 10 to 2.3×102 colonies/g sample. The pH values of all starter doughs ranged from 3.36 to 3.52 and the Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) varied from 11.1 to 17.0ml of 0.1N NaOH/10g dough. All LAB isolates were identified as Lactobacillus. The phenotypic characteristics were used to cluster all the LAB isolates into two major groups (Group A and Group B), with the B group subdivided into four groups. Phylogenetic analysis, based upon partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that isolates of Group A, which all contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in their cell wall and produced dl-lactic acid, were closely related to Lactobacillus plantarum, whilst the strains of Group B that produced l-lactic acid were closely related to Lactobacillus casei. For yeasts, eight isolates based on the D1/D2 domain sequences of 26S rRNA were identified as Candida tropicalis, Pichia stipitis, Candida parapsilosis, Issatchenkia orientalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]