PCR-DGGE analysis of the microbial diversity in naturally fermented suan-cai from northeast China

In order to reveal the microbial diversity and predominant microflora in traditional naturally fermented suan-cai from Northeast China, kinetic changes in microbial communities during the fermentation of suan-cai were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The results indicated that the naturally fermented suan-cai contained many types of bacteria, but relatively few fungi. The most active bacterium was Leuconostoc sp., observed in the early stage of the fermentation process, followed by the fermenting and acid-producing bacteria L. acidophilus, L. fermentum, and L. plantarum, before the fermentation was completed by L. plantarum. Leuconostoc sp. was the predominant microorganism in the early fermentation stages, whereas L. plantarum was predominant in the middle and later stages. Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida tropicalis, and Penicillium expansum were the dominant fungi during the fermentation process. The number of fungi decreased with increasing fermentation time, and the types of fungi also varied with the different stages of fermentation. ©, 2014, South China University of Technology. All right reserved.