Molecular characterization of the predominant lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in the sourdough and chickpea fermentations and investigation of some lactic acid bacteria for potential starter culture usage

In the present study, a total of 20 sourdough, chickpea liquid starter and dough samples were collected from different bakeries at two different times. Sourdough and chickpea fermentations were also conducted under laboratory conditions. Microbiological and chemical properties of collected samples were investigated and lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were isolated and identified by molecular methods. In sourdough fermentations, analysis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing grouped the strains into 18 lactic acid bacteria species and the most frequent isolates were Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis (32.7%), Lactobacillus plantarum (18.6%) and Lactobacillus paralimentarious (15.9%). In chickpea fermentations, 12 lactic acid bacteria species were identified and the most prevalent species were Weissella confusa (44.6%), Enterococcus faecium (25.6%) and Weissella cibaria (11.6%). PCR-RFLP analysis identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the sourdough (72.5%) and chickpea fermentations (40.7%) as the most frequent yeast species. Other isolated yeast species were Kazachstania bulderi, Pichia membranifaciens, Kazachstania servazzii, Kazachstania unispora and Hanseniaspora valbyensis for sourdoughs and Candida parapsilosis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii and Cryptococcus albidosimilis for chickpea fermentations. Pichia fermentans was isolated from both of the fermentations. According to the technological potential, Lactobacillus plantarum XL23 and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis RL976 strains were used as mono- and dual-culture in the production of experimental sourdoughs and Weissella confusa RL1139 strain was used as mono-culture in the production of experimental chickpea liquid starters.