P8: Characterisation of lactic acid bacteria and yeast isolated from soak-water of Ofada rice (paddy)

Freshly harvested paddy rice was randomly obtained from three different farms in “Ofada”town, Ogun State, Nigeria into sterile polythene bags and processed according to the traditional method of soaking in water for three days. The acidity and microbial counts of the soak-water were determined at 24h intervals for 72h. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were isolated from the soak-water and further characterised and identified by standard schemes. The TTA, aerobic plate, lactic acid and yeast counts of the soak-water increased significantly (p<0.05) while the  pH and coliform counts decreased significantly during the first 48h with the elimination of the coliform organisms by the 72^nd hour. The dominant lactic acid bacteria responsible for the fermentation of “ofada” rice are Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus amylophillus while the dominant yeasts are Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces uvarum. These isolates could be responsible for the relished flavour of “ofada” rice.