Isolation and characterization of bacteria from pliek-u, traditional fermented coconut from Aceh-Indonesia

Abstract

In the Acehnese community, pliek-u is a common culinary ingredient naturally preserved through coconut endosperm fermentation. A number of microorganisms are involved in the conversion of the chemical constituents of coconut endosperm as a fermentation product. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the bacteria involved in the fermentation of pliek-u. Coconut endosperm from 50 fruits were grated and fermented for 6 days. The samples were collected on 1st, 3rd and 6th day of fermentation. The observed parameters were the total bacteria (plate counts), colony and cell characterization (cell form, Gram staining and catalase). Results showed that the total bacterial decreased dramatically with the length of the fermentation period. At the beginning of fermentation (after 20hrs), the total bacteria were higher (2.5x1010 CFU/g) than that of on the 3rd day (3.4x108 CFU/g) and on the 6th day (7.0x107 CFU/g). About 7 isolates have been successfully characterized. The dominant bacteria are coccus bacteria (86%) and Gram-negative (57%). Moreover, all isolates had shown catalase-positive and were not lactid acid bacteria (LAB). Further research by molecular identification is needed to identify the genotype and role of bacteria involved.