RESUMO
AIMS: To evaluate the role of starter inoculums to reduce total fermentation time as well as to improve safety and quality of Sheedal, a fermented fish-product of India. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus piscifermentans were isolated from the Sheedal and used as starter inoculums. To justify fermenting and probiotic properties of the starter inoculums, characteristics like proteolytic and lipolytic activity, cell-surface hydrophobicity, cell auto-aggregation and co-aggregation, antibiotic susceptibility and antimicrobial assay were performed. Changes in the count of lactic acid bacteria, staphylococci and Enterobacteriaceae were studied periodically. CONCLUSIONS: A higher increase in α-amino nitrogen and TCA-soluble peptides during fermentation was observed in treatment which was inoculated with both L. plantarum and S. piscifermentans. Poor competitiveness of staphylococci in presence of LAB was found. Inoculation of both L. plantarum and S. piscifermentans as starter showed a positive effect to reduce significantly the fermentation period from usual 4-5 months to 75 days, whereas, same was achieved after 105th and 120th by the use of either L. plantarum or S. piscifermentans respectively. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: Reduction of the total fermentation period is considered as an additional advantage in Sheedal technology in addition to the safety of the product as evidenced by low pH and high titratable acidity.