| Summary: | Optimization of the probiotic microbes fortified fermentation dynamics of seaweed powder, Eucheuma denticulatum and Kappaphycus alvarez ii, was investigated via microbiology and
chemical analysis. A total of seven types of fermentation were carried out for each seaweed using a cocktail of four strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria; Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum & Lactobacillus sakei, yeast; Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and cellulase enzyme. Research was divided into three phases; Phase 1- smallscale fermentation (1OOml), Phase II - up-scale fermentation (l L) and Phase III - 3 L
fermentation for seaweed silage biomass production and live rotifer feed assay. Bacteria
count and pH profile were recorded for all fermentation. In phase I, chemical analysis were
carried out for moisture, ash, lipid and protein. In phase II additional analysis such as fatty
acids, amino acids, organic acid and carrageenan size, were carried out. In Phase I,
fermentation of both seaweed using Lactobacillus case; as a single strain and fermentation
using a mixture of all four strains showed promising result. Out of these four fermentation
that were up-scaled in Phase II, fermentation of Eucheuma denticulatum using Lactobacillus
casei showed the best result in terms of bacteria count where there was an increment of 275
% in the first three days. The pH profile showed a drop in from 5.3 to 3.5. Lipid content was
1.9 %, protein 18% moisture 97.5% and ash 33.4%. Organic acids analysis indicated that
lactic oxalic acid, fumaric acid and maleic acids were produced during fermentation.
Carrageenan size analysis showed that carrageenan size was reduced from a size of 800KD
to 5KD. Fatty acid analysis revealed the production of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated
fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids while amino acid analysis showed a
surge in free amino acids in the form of glutamic acid and glycine. The anti-microbial assay
showed a 50 % inhibition against twelve species of tested microbes. Biomass production of
this fermentation from Phase III was used in the live rotifer feed assay, which saw an
increment of 224 % in rotifer density when the rotifers were fed with an equal mixture of
Nannoc/oropsis and probiotic fortified seaweed silage.
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