Identification and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Effluents Generated During Cassava Fermentation as Potential Candidates for Probiotics

Fermented cassava is obtained through fermentation process where the main role is played by various lactic acid bacteria (LAB), while the by-products (effluents) are discarded. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify and analyze potential probiotics in fermented cassava by-products/effluents using molecular techniques. We quantified the LAB’s metabolites and tested their antimicrobial properties. We isolated 13 LAB strains which are all Gram-positive, and catalase, oxidase, indole and coagulase negative. Only 6 out of 13 selected isolates survived the low pH of 1.5 and 0.3% bile salt. These 6 isolates showed different levels of antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens with zones of inhibition ranging from 5.10 mm to 22.80 mm. The isolated LAB were identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Limosilactobacillus fermentum. The results indicated that the selected LAB strains have potential as probiotics due to their ability to survive in acidic and bile-rich environments as well as their antimicrobial properties.