Microbiological quality of zabadi with special reference to the lactic acid bacteria

ABSTRACT

Fifty samples of zabadi were examined microbiologically. The average Standard Plate Count [SPC/ml] was 6.5 * 10[5], the lactobacilli was 2.9 * 10[7] cfu/ml, lactococci 2.3 * 10[7] cfuf/ml. coli forms 9.0 * 10[2] cfu/ml, and mould and yeast 1.2 * 10[3] cfu/ml. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were also present. Predominant Lactobacillus was Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus [54.2%]. All strains were subjected to further examination to evaluate their productivity as titratable acidity, pH changes, proteolytic activity, and production of acetaldehyde and diacetyl. Highest acidity was obtained by L.lactis var cremoris, L. Delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and L. casei. However, the lowest pH value belonged to L. casei. Diacety1 was produced in very small quantities. The average values of acetaldehyde produced by L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgarics and S. salivarius subsp. thermophilus, the predominant organisms in zabadi, were 7.40 and 2.90 ppm respectively