ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the diversity of indigenous microorganisms associated with cocoa pod fermentation. The fully ripe harvested cocoa pods (Theobroma cacao L.) were purchased from different vendors at Ndoru market in Ikwuano Local Government Abia state. The cocoa samples were placed in sterile plastic bags and taken to the microbiology laboratory for analysis. The pods were allowed to ferment for 15days and examined at 3 days intervals for bacterial population and dynamics. A total of 22 bacteria comprising of 7 different species were isolated from the fermented cocoa pod samples. The details of these isolate comprises of Bacillus sp, Lactobacillus brevis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sp, Lactobacillus plantarum, Acetobacter sp, and Micrococcus sp. The total viable bacterial and latic acid bacterial count from the fermenting cocoa pods during the 15 days period ranges from 2.7 x 106 to 2.9 x i07. The total heterotrophic bacterial count during the 15 days period ranges from 7.4 x 106 to 2.94 x i0. The total lactic bacterial count ranges from 2.7 x 1 to 1 .22 x 106. However, it can be observed that the viable bacterial and lactic acid bacterial count increases during the fermentation period. it was observed that Lactobacillus plantarum is the most frequently occurring isolates with a percentage occurrence of (22.7%), followed by Lactobacillus brevis and Bacillus sp with a percentage occurrence of (18.2%), then Sreptococcus sp (13.6%), whereas Micrococcus sp, Acetobacter sp and Staphylococcus aureus have the least percentage occurrence of 2(2.1%). The isolation of these organisms entails that during the stages of pod-breaking and bean removal for fermentation, the pulp and beans become contaminated with a variety of microorganisms, many of which contribute to the subsequent fermentation. The contaminating organisms are thought to originate from the outer surface of the pods, the hands of the workers, knives, unwashed baskets used for transport of seeds, dried mucilage left on the walls of boxes from previous feinientations, and various plant materials and vegetation. Consequently, more research is needed to determine how different microbial species/strains impact on the finer properties of chocolate flavor, as has been well established for other fermented products such as beer, wine, and bread