Studies on "microorganisms and their role in gundruk fermentation" Part I. Studies on the microflora of nepalese pickles gundruk.

Abstract

Gundruk is a famous Nepalese non-salted and fermented vegetable product especially from mustard, rape, and radish vegetables. The fermentation is complete in about a week. This product is preferred by the Napalese people primarily on the basis of an acidic taste and the typical Gundruk flavour. In this paper, the acid-producing bacteria and the chemical changes occuring during the natural fermentation of Gundruk have been investigated. Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei, Lactobacillus casei subsp. pseudoplantarum, Lactobacillus cellobiosus and Pediococcus were identified from Gundruk fermentation. Of the lactics, Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus were found to be the dominant flora during the natural fermentation of Gundrilk. However, Lactobacillus cellobiosus was isolated in the earlier part of the fermentation. The sequential pattern of the lactics was found in Gundruk fermentation primarily initiated by heterofermentative rod(Lactobacillus cellobiosus)and homofermentative coccus(Pediococcus pentosaceus)and later on succeeded by more acid producing homofermentative rod(L. plantarum). The drop in pH and acidity produced were 4.0 and 0.8-1.0% as lactic acid during the Gundruk fermentation of mustard and rape vegetables.