Flora of lactic acid bacteria in Miang produced in northern Thailand

Flora of lactic acid bacteria in five Miang samples, fermented tea leaves on northern Thailand, was studied quantitatively and qualitatively. Lactic acid bacteria (103 to 105per gram) were found in four samples, and none in one sample. The latter sample may have been greatly affected by the production of acid during the long fermentation. The ten representative isolates were characterized by their morphological, physiological, and chemical properties. All of these isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum (Olra-Jensen) Bergey et al., with diaminopimelic acid (A2pm) peptidoglycan in the cell wall. Apparently the tea tannic acid in the Miang selected only the L. plantarum with A2pm peptidoglycan in the cell wall. This is interesting in view of the bacterial flora formation involved in Miang fermentation.