Screening and Characterization of Aroma and Flavor-Producing Bacteria and Yeast from Traditional Fermented Food and Beverages of Northeast, India

Fermented foods in India are diverse and play a significant role in the country's culinary traditions. These foods are often categorized based on their base material and include a variety of items with reported medicinal properties. Some examples of these fermented foods are: Dahi, Gundruk, Sinki, Inziangsang, Iromba, etc. While there were initially limited reports on the extraction of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Indian fermented dishes, the growing awareness toward the health benefits associated with LAB has spurred increased research in this domain. LAB are known for their probiotic properties, promoting gut health and overall well-being. The increasing interest in the health benefits attributed to lactic acid bacteria (LAB) offers a valuable opportunity for food microbiologists to delve deeper into the study and exploration of fermented foods. In the current study, bacteria and yeast were isolated from the different traditional fermented foods of northeast, and their potential of flavor production was studied. These isolated strains were used to check the potential of undergoing fermentation and flavor production by inoculating the isolated strains in the raw milk for the development of novel probiotic products.