Microbiological properties, anti-nutritional and nutritional composition of spontaneously and starter culture fermented malted acha flour

Nutrients can be made bioavailable in foods through fermentation of such foods either spontaneously or via starter cultures with consequent reduction in antinutrients. The effect of fermentation time on the microbiological properties, anti-nutritional and nutritional contents of malted acha ( Digitaria exilis ) flour fermented spontaneously and using starter culture was studied. Malted acha flour was fermented spontaneously and using starter culture for 72 and 48 h respectively. Two screened lactic acid bacteria with the best probiotic potential were employed from 11 bacteria isolates after they were identified using molecular method. Microbiological, antinutritional and nutritional analyses of the fermented products was performed using standard methods. There were decreases in aerobic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria counts after 72 h fermentation period with a converse increase in yeast count of the fermenting slurry during the same period. For spontaneously fermented acha flour, increases in values at P