Cassava based foods: microbial fermentation by single starter culture towards cyanide reduction, protein enhancement and palatability

Cassava flour sample fermented with three pure starter cultures of Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiea, Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Three different inoculum level (0.25 ml, 0.50 ml, and 0.75 ml) were used. 20 gms of cassava samples were fermented to different times (24, 36 and 48 hrs). The samples were withdrew after each hrs of fermentation and subjected to analysis of pH, MC, CP, FC content of the samples. All fermented samples generally resulted in increased crude protein (CP) and decreased pH, free cyanide and moisture contents. The sample fermented with L. plantarum and L. mesenterodes for 36 and 48 hrs with 0.25 ml and 0.75 ml inoculums resulted in the highest pH reduction from 6.68 to 3.70, while the least pH reduction was recorded in sample fermented with S. cereviseas at inoculums level of 0.75 ml. The highest CP content increment were recorded on sample fermented by S. cereviseas for 48 hrs with inoculums level of 0.75 ml i.e from 0.71% unfermented to 4.58% fermented sample. The highest free cyanide (FC) reduction was recorded by L. plantarum (4.09 mg/g) at 24 hrs of 0.50 ml, followed by L. mesenteroides (4.67 mg/g) at 36 hrs of 0.75 ml of inoculum. While the least free cyanide reduction was recorded by S. cereviseas (111.62 mg/g) at 24 hrs of 0.25 ml of inoculum level. The FC content of all fermented sample at three fermentation time and inoculums level was significantly lower (P 0.05) than the unfermented samples. The FC decreased from 197.19 mg/g to 4.09 mg/g upon fermentation.