Probiotic characterization and functional metabolic potential of the microbiome of asaana and nmedaa, traditional fermented beverages from Ghana

Title : Probiotic characterization and functional metabolic potential of the microbiome of asaana and nmedaa, traditional fermented beverages from Ghana

Abstract:

The human gastrointestinal microbiome performs an essential role in maintaining the homeostasis of the intestine by regulating host inflammation and immune responses. This important function of the gastrointestinal microbiota is affected by changes in its composition caused by lifestyle choices such as diet, which could lead to the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer. This study sought to investigate the probiotic and functional metabolic potential of indigenous Ghanaian fermented maize-based beverages - asaana and nmedaa. Twelve (12) fermented maize-based beverages were obtained from vendors and producers from five (5) different locations (Amasaman, Haatso, Madina, Osu, and Tema) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Metagenomics using the CCMetagen 1.3 web server was used for profiling the beverages. The Nephele bioinformatics web server was used to predict functional metabolic gene families present in the microbiota of the fermented beverages. Lactobacillus species were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. The average load of LAB in the beverages was 8.43±0.37 log CFU/ml, which is close to the suggested 9 log CFU/ml required for colonization of the gut. The microbiome of asaana and nmedaa was found to be very diverse, with both fermented beverages having similar microorganisms at the phyla, genera, and species level. Pichia and Lactobacillus were the main microbial species present in the beverages. The study identified genes for regulating cellular processes, metabolic functions, and environmental information processing using Nephele. Lactobacillus fermentum strain HBUA53262, and Limosilactobacillus fermentum strain UL were isolated from the beverages and they showed potential characteristics as probiotics which included their ability to survive simulated conditions in the gut such as in the presence of hydrochloric acid and bile salt in addition to being susceptible to antibiotics, being non-hemolytic, and having antimicrobial activity against test pathogens: Escherichia coli NCTC 11954 TEM-1, Klebsiella pneumoniae NCTC 13368 ESBL (+), Salmonella typhi ACT 1, Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus which may be a result of the production of organic acids which lower the pH of their surroundings, and the production of antimicrobials such as bacteriocins. All the isolated L. fermentum strains were resistant to vancomycin but were sensitive to other antibiotics. The L. fermentum strains present in asaana and nmedaa make them suitable as potential functional foods.

Biography:

Elmer Nayra Ametefe is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana. As an applied microbiologist, her research has focused on the characterization of microbial strains in African fermented foods and the beneficial interactions of these microbes with human and animal hosts. This focus has driven her research career toward exploring the potential probiotics associated with fermented foods and their impact on human and animal health. As the Lead Researcher of the Ametefe Probiotic Research Lab, she and her team have characterized Bacillus, yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria as promising probiotic candidates for gut microbiome modulation. Her research also extends to the application of intrinsic microbes in polluted soil and water as agents for pollutant degradation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Botany from the University of Ghana and both an MPhil and PhD in Biochemistry from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. She is married with two teenage sons and is passionate about advancing STEM education in Ghana.