Microbiological And Biochemical Characteristic Of Damirga, - A Fermented Pearl Millet Flour

Abstract

Damirga is the sour flour from which acedat Damirga is made. This type of aceda is basically confided to western Sudan, particularly Darfur region, and mostly prepared from pearl millet. In this study, the microbiology and biochemistry were studied in ten samples of Damirga flour purchased from different markets around Khartoum State, laboratory prepared Damirga following the method described by the respondents to a questionnaire the microbiology and biochemistry were also studied and also Damirga prepared using a pure culture starter. Damirga is mainly lactic acid fermentation, as fermentation process lactic acid bacteria count and lactic acid increased so pH decreased from 6.58 to 3.9. Titrable acidity and volatile acids increased as fermentation progressed. Lactic acid bacteria were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. fermentum, and L. delbrueckii. Acetobacter species and Gluconobacter species contributed to the fermentation process but at a lesser extend than did the lactic acid bacteria. Yeast species Kluyveromyces, Pichia. and Hansenispora. appeared at 18 hrs after fermentation started when soak water pH was 4.13 and increased to a maximum at 48 hrs when soak water pH was 3.97 then decreased toward the end of the fermentation process. Damirga fermentation improves the nutritional quality of pearl millet by decreasing the amount of nutritional inhibitors (polyphenols, tannin and phytic acid) and increasing protein digestibility