[01] Aderiye Babatunde Idowu, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. [02] Odusoga Olayide Oluwabunmi, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. [03] Adebayo Alaba Adewole, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

Rapid, sensitive and time saving features of infrared spectroscopy in assessing biological systems for important biochemical constituents has attracted much interest in the recent time. The proximate, nutritional and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) composition of five (5) different bioproducts; D60.1, C90.3, E90.3, E120.3 and community “Ogi” were accessed using standard techniques with their functional properties evaluated with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The community “Ogi” exhibited the highest LAB load (1.0 x 10⁵ CFU/ml) while sample C90.3 had the least LAB load (5.5 x 10⁴ CFU/ml). There was an increase of 39.4% in the LAB load of D60.1 “Ogi” sample after 60min at 60°C (primary fermentation) while the LAB growth in C90.3 sample exhibited about 50.9% increase of its initial value (5.5 x 10⁴ CFU/ml) within the same time. The growth rate of the LAB cells in E90.3 sample was however the highest (6.0 x 10² CFU/min) during the 1° fermentation. Subsequently, the microbial growth ranged between 9.3 x 10⁴ CFU/ml in C90.3 and 1.38 x 10⁵ CFU/ml after 180min at 28°C (secondary fermentation). A total of 19 strains of LAB were recorded with Lactobacillus fermentum having highest distribution of 48% and 16% of the strains were recovered from D60.1, while 21% were encountered in each of the four samples. Intensities of most functional groups found in the final product of E90.3 (after 2° fermentation for 180min at 28°C) were significantly higher than those of E120.3 treatment. The final product of D60.1 (fermented with 8g starter) after 270min, relatively retained most of the important functional groups at significant level. E90.3 maintained increase in functional groups with (21% for –OH, 24% and 85% for –CH₂, 81% for –CH₃, 14% for –C=O of amide and 14% and 28% for –C-O-C and C-O of CHO) increase after 2° fermentation for 180min at 28°C. Overall, E90.3 treatment was however found as the best and most promising bioprocess for the production of the instant “Ogi” hence is recommended for industrial production and commercialization of “Ogi”.

FTIR, LAB, Instant “Ogi”, “Ogi” Sample, Fermentation, Functional Group, Bioproduct, Biotreatment

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