Microbial Diversity of Anaerobic-Fermented Coffee and Potential for Inhibiting Ochratoxin-Produced <i>Aspergillus niger</i>

Coffee flavor considerably depends on the fermentation process, with contributing factors including fermentation temperature, oxygen concentration, and microbial diversity. Efficient controlling of the fermentation can improve the quality of coffee beverages. Therefore, several studies on coffee fer...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bao-Hong Lee, Cheng-Hao Huang, Tsung-Yu Liu, Jung-Shiang Liou, Chih-Yao Hou, Wei-Hsuan Hsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/15/2967
Description
Summary:Coffee flavor considerably depends on the fermentation process, with contributing factors including fermentation temperature, oxygen concentration, and microbial diversity. Efficient controlling of the fermentation can improve the quality of coffee beverages. Therefore, several studies on coffee fermentation processes have been conducted in various regions. The objective of this study was to assess the microbial diversity of coffee beans undergoing anaerobic fermentation at various temperatures (4 °C or 37 °C) and fermentation durations (12 h or 36 h) using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing. This analysis aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the fermented metabolites against ochratoxin-producing <i>Aspergillus niger</i>. From our results, <i>Acetobacter</i> was identified as the dominant microbial community at higher fermentation temperatures, whereas <i>Leuconostoc</i> and <i>Gluconobacter</i> were the dominant genera at lower temperatures. However, at lower temperatures, changes in microbial communities were relatively slow. This study expands our knowledge of the microbial diversity involved in the anaerobic fermentation of coffee beans in Taiwan. The findings of this study can be used in future research to cultivate microorganisms linked to the quality and improve the quality of coffee beverages through fermentation.
ISSN:2304-8158