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Abstract:The fermentation of Pito, a traditional alcoholic beverage, was done using selected yeast strains or a crude mixed yeast culture collected from traditional breweries and two types of sorghum malt. The fermentation characteristics and product quality of the pure and mixed fermentations were monitored and compared. Significant differences were observed between the mixed culture fermentation and the single culture fermentations. Acid production of the mixed culture fermentations was higher whereas ethanol production and sugar utilisation were lower than those of the pure strain fermentations. Sensory observations and analysis of volatile compounds also indicated differences in the fermentations. The use of pure cultures in fermentations proved to yield more ethanol. The sorghum variety was also observed to have an influence on the fermentation pattern. Utilisation of nutrients from the white sorghum malt extract was greater and faster than those from the red sorghum.

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Two local varieties, a white type and a red type, of Sorghum vulgare cultivated in Ghana were malted, using a micro-malting method, and their malt characteristics studied and compared to that of a commercial barley malt. The optimal germination time, at 30°C, to produce a good malt of high diastatic power and extract from local varieties of these varieties was 4-5 days. The local varieties were also found to have high diastatic activities of between 55 and 68% of the commercial barley malt. Hot-water extracts of the well malted sorghum varieties were also found to have higher and sustainable amounts of free amino nitrogen than the commercial malt. The hot-water extracts of sorghum malts were lower than the commercial barley malt, yielding about 6 6 7 7 YO of the barley malt, but contained a higher glucose to malt ratio. In terms of varietal superiority, the white sorghum yielded higher malt extracts than the red type.

Introduction: Salmonella infections are increasing worldwide, but there are few reports on Salmonella surveillance in African countries and other developing countries. This has made it difficult to estimate the actual burden of salmonellosis, especially in Africa. This study was conducted in a neglected Northern Region of Ghana where there are no previous data on Salmonella serotypes. Methodology: Standard microbiological tests were used for isolation, identification, and serotyping. Micro-dilution was used for the antimicrobial susceptibility tests. Results: Four serotypes of Salmonella were identified: S. Urbana, S. Ouakam, S. Senftenberg, and S. Stanleyville. All the serotypes were susceptible to the 20 antibiotics used in the susceptibility test. S. Urbana and S. Ouakam were identified in humans for the first time in Africa. Conclusion: This study may serve as a baseline study for future investigations on Salmonella in the region and may assist public health officials to take the appropriate measures in case of a disease outbreak caused by Salmonella in the area. The article may also give health officials a fair idea of the resistance level of these serotypes in the region.