Selection of lactic acid bacteria from fermented plant beverages to use as inoculants for improving the quality of the finished product.

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) from fermented plant beverages were selected based on their antibacterial actions against potential food borne pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus PSSCMI 0004, Escherichia coli PSSCMI 0001, Salmonella typhimurium PSSCMI 0034 and Vibrio parahaemolyticus VP 4). Antibacterial activities were measured using an agar spot method. The Lactobacillus plantarum W90A strain isolated from a wild forest noni (Morinda coreia Ham) beverage was used as an inoculant. Three different inoculation procedures were conducted with the fruit of wild forest noni fermentations to establish which one was the best for controlling the numbers of yeast in the finished product. A 5% inoculum of L. plantarum W90A (LAB set), initial cell density 8.6 log cfu mL(-1), produced a better product and inhibitory properties against the test organisms, particularly E. coli PSSCMI 0001 than one with no inoculum or with a 5% inoculum from a previous natural fermented product. An LAB inoculum resulted in a reduced total bacterial count and no yeast throughout fermentation period (90 days). The lower yeast resulted in a reduction of the ethanol content to 2.9 g L(-1) compared to 12.2 g L(-1) inthe culture with no inoculum. The highest acidity (1.3-1.4%) with the same pH (3.3) was observed in both sets of inoculated fermentations, whereas the uninoculated set gave a pH value of 3.7 (1.2% acidity).