Isolation and Qualitative Characterization of Protease Producing Tentragenococcus Halophilus as a Potential Starter Culture for Soy Sauce Moromi Fermentation

Abstract

Tetragenococcus halophilus is a lacc acid bacteria (LAB), which plays an important role in moromi fermentaon of soy sauce producon process to improve the soy sauce flavor and aroma characteriscs. The proteolyc acvity from T. halophilus serves as an important factor to speed up the fermentaon process, hence improving the producvity of soy sauce producon. T. halophilus was found to inhabit food fermented products with high salt concentraon However, the isolates of high protease acvity of T. halophilus have not yet been obtained, and due to its importance, the starter culture of high protease acvity of T. halophilus is needed. Therefore, this study wants to isolate and idenfy T. halophilus from various high salt fermented food products, and to qualitavely characterize the protease from T. halophilus isolates. This study was done by conducng isolaon media preparaon, sample inoculaon from various high salt fermented food products (two and four weeks fermented raw soy sauce moromi , tradionally produced shrimp paste from tradional factory in Jakarta and homemade factory in Jember, and a tradionally produced anchovy paste), idenficaon of isolates, purificaon of idenfied isolates of presumpve T. halophilus , characterizing the protease producing isolates qualitavely, and molecularly idenfied the protease producing isolates. Total of 21 isolates were successfully obtained and idenfied as presumpve T. halophilus . Seven isolates were obtained as presumpve protease producing T. halophilus with higher protease acvity than B. sublis . Those seven presumpve protease producing isolates were idenfied as Tetragenococcus muriarcus , so the idenficaon process was unsuccessful to obtain the protease producing T. halophilus.