The Dynamics of Bacterial Communities During Traditional Nata de Coco Fermentation

Abstract

One of the important problems in traditional Nata dc Coco (Nate) fermentation is production inconsistency due to strain or genetic variability rrflecting mixed microbial communities involved in this process. This researrh was aimed at examine the population dynamlcs of thr bacterial rommunlty during the Cerrnentation processes. Samples were collected daily for six days from frrrnentation media derived lrom "good" and "bad" Nata fermentation. We compared the levels of bacterial diversity through amplified 16s-rRNA (ARDRA), DNA was extracted dlrtctly from the rermentetion media and 16s-rRNA gene was amplified employing llniversnl Bacterial Primers. The amplicons were cloned into pGEM-T Easy vector, end restriction enzymes Haelll and RsaI were used to generate ARDRA profiles. ARDRA phylotypes of DNA extracted from the lermentstion medium obtained from different Nata qualities were compared. Phylotype profiles demnnstrated unique bacterial community profiles for different conditions of Nata quality. which could be developed as a parameter to monitor Nata quality during fermentation. In this research we found that the dynamics of the bacterial population involved in Nata term~ntation were a crucial factor for determining traditional Nata quality.