Bacaba beverage produced by Umutina Brazilian Amerindians: Microbiological and chemical characterization

Abstract

Bacaba chicha is a beverage prepared by the indigenous Umutina people from the bacaba fruit (Oenocarpus bacaba), a purple berry that is rich in fat and carbohydrates, as well as a source of phenolic compounds. In this study, samples of bacaba chicha beverage were collected, and the microbial community was assessed using culture-dependent and -independent techniques. The nutritional composition and metabolite profiles were analyzed, and species belonging to lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts were detected. The LAB group detected by culture-dependent analysis included Enterococcus hormaechei and Leuconostoc lactis. Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) detected additional Propionibacterium avidum, Acetobacter spp., and uncultured bacteria. Pichia caribbica and Pichia guilliermondii were detected in a culture-dependent method, and Pichia caribbica was confirmed by PCR-DGGE analysis. The pH value of the beverage was 6.2. The nutritional composition was as follows: 16.47 ± 0.73 g 100 mL-1 dry matter, 2.2 ± 0.0 g 100 mL-1 fat, 3.36 ± 0.44 g 100 mL-1 protein, and 10.87 ± 0.26 g 100 mL-1 carbohydrate. The metabolites detected were 2.69 g L-1 succinic acid, 0.9 g L-1 acetic acid, 0.49 g L-1 citric acid, 0.52 g L-1 ethanol, and 0.4 g L-1 glycerol. This is the first study to identify microbial diversity in bacaba chicha spontaneous fermentation. This study is also the starting step in the immaterial record of this Brazilian indigenous beverage prepared from bacaba fruit.

Figure 1. Photographs and flow diagram representing the bacaba chicha beverage preparation.

Figure 2. Dendrogram generated after cluster analysis of Rep-PCR bacterial DNA fingerprints in bacaba chicha beverage.

Figure 3. Dendrogram generated after cluster analysis of Rep-PCR yeast DNA fingerprints in bacaba chicha beverage.

Figure 4. PCR-DGGE profiles of the Eukaryote and Prokaryote communities in bacaba chicha beverage. Eukaryote: The closest relatives of the fragments sequenced, based on a search of GenBank (> 99% similarity), were bands a - uncultured Eukaryote; b - Pichia caribbica; c - uncultured Malassezia; d - uncultured Eukaryote; e - not sequenced; f - uncultured Eukaryote; g - not sequenced; h - not sequenced. Prokaryote: The closest relatives of the fragments sequenced, based on a search of GenBank (> 97% similarity), were bands: i - not sequenced; j - not sequenced; k - Propionibacterium avidum; l - Enterococcus spp.; m - uncultured bacteria; n - Enterobacter spp.; o - Acetobacter spp.; p - uncultured bacteria; q - not sequenced; r - uncultured bacteria.

Figure 5. Organic acids and alcohols production by natural microbiota in bacaba chicha beverage.