ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PALM WINE YEASTS AND A COMPARISON OF THEIR DOUGH-RAISING ACTIVITY WITH BAKER’S YEAST
C. C. EZEMBA *
Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria.
V. T. ONYEMALU
Department of Microbiology, Renaissance University, Ugbawka. Enugu State, Nigeria.
A. C. NWANYA
Department of Microbiology, Renaissance University, Ugbawka. Enugu State, Nigeria.
E. OGBONNA
Department of Microbiology, Renaissance University, Ugbawka. Enugu State, Nigeria.
A. S. EZEMBA
Chychy Gilgal Laboratories and Consultancy Services Ichida, Anambra State, Nigeria.
V. N. Anakwenze
Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
G. C. ANAUKWU
Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
P. O. OKOYE
Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria.
F. J. C. ODIBO
Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Yeast isolates from fresh palm wine sample in Ugbawka, Enugu state were screened for dough- raising activity. The function of yeast flora of palm wine in leavening was explored by subjecting organisms from the wine to dough-raising tests. The yeasts isolates, tentatively identified as Saccharomyces sp, were compared with a commercial baker’s yeast for their dough-raising properties. Out of four yeast isolates, two of them were recovered as biological dough raisers. The result showed that isolates two and four has the highest dough-raising activity of 12cm3 and 11.60cm3, while isolate three produced the lowest dough raising activity when compared with baker’s yeast that gave a value of 8.40cm3. This study indicates that palm wine yeasts have good properties for raising dough in bread-making and can be exploited for commercial use.
Keywords: Dough, palm wine, Saccharomyces sp, yeasts