ANALYSIS OF PROBIOTIC PROFILE AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF SELECTED LOCALLY FERMENTED FOODS

Locally fermented foods represent a rich reservoir for beneficial microorganisms and nutrients, yet their probiotic potential and nutritional value remain largely underexplored in scientific literature. This study investigated the probiotic profile and proximate composition of four indigenous fermented foods: yoghurt, nunu, ogiri-okpeye and ugba. Microbial profiles were evaluated and isolated. Enumeration of microbes was done on selective media – de Mann Rogosa Sharpe media, Potato dextrose agar, MacConkey agar, Eosin methylene blue, Mannitol salt agar, and with biochemical tests to facilitate identification of the organism. pH and proximate composition of the samples were carried out using standard methods, Microbiological analysis revealed high total viable counts ranging from 3.5 × 10⁶ CFU/ml in nunu to 4.2 × 10⁸ CFU/ml in ugba. Total lactic acid bacteria counts were substantial across all samples, with ugba showing the highest count of 1.0 × 10⁹ CFU/ml. The pH values ranged from 5.65 (yoghurt) to 7.35 (ogiri), indicating varying degrees of acidity. Bacterial characterization identified beneficial probiotic organisms including Lactobacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. across different samples. Fungal analysis revealed Saccharomyces spp. in ogiri and Aspergillus spp. in ugba. Proximate analysis showed significant nutritional variations: protein content was highest in ogiri (26.34%) and ugba (19.20%), while carbohydrate content was predominant in ugba (58.08%) and ogiri (48.46%). Moisture content was highest in yoghurt (79.65%) and nunu (69.56%). These findings demonstrate that locally fermented foods possess substantial probiotic potential and nutritional value, supporting their role in promoting gut health and nutrition security. However, standardization of fermentation processes and implementation of quality control measures are paramount.