Biochemical and Microbial Change in Food Fermentation 'Ubi Karet Busuk' Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Ubi karet busuk is a traditional food fermentation product from Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia which uses cassava as a substrate. This substrate was fermented spontaneously by indigenous microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, fungi). During the fermentation, these microorganisms released enzymes such as amylase, protease, lipase, and hydrolyzed polysaccharides, proteins, lipids into digestible products with a pleasant, attractive taste and texture for human consumption. The biochemical aspects were investigated during the fermentation, including reducing sugar, protein, lactic acid, and pH values. The results of observations show that the bacteria that are primarily involved in the fermentation process are lactic acid bacteria. 15 isolates were identified phenotypically as lactic acid bacteria. The results showed that reducing sugar levels increased from 0.09 to 0.60 mg/mL, protein levels increased from 0.08 to 0.27 mg/mL, lactic acid increased from 1.08 to 11.88 , pH decreased from 6.9 to 3.8. © 2019 ACM.