GLUTAMIC ACID PRODUCING POTENTIAL OF Bacillus SPECIES ISOLATED FROM “DADAWA”; A LOCAL NIGERIAN SOUP CONDIMENT

This research was conducted with the objective to isolate glutamic acid producing Bacillus spp. from locally fermented Nigerian soup seasoning “Dadawan Kalwa”, “Dadawan-batso” and “Dadawan-soya”. A total of thirty (30) samples of the condiments were purchased and bacterial isolates were characterized and identified based on conventional and API 20E/API CHB50 (Biomerieux, France). An evaluation of the bacillus isolates for L-Glutamic acid producing potential, growth rate and pH profile on synthetic medium were monitored at 35°C during 96h fermentation. The glutamic acid content of fermenting medium were then identified and quantitatively evaluated using paper chromatography and ninhydrin colour reaction (turbidiometrically) methods. The result shows Bacillus subtilis (90.00%), Bacillus licheniformis (70.00%), Bacillus pumilus (53.33%), Bacillus polymyxa (26.67%), and Bacillus megaterium (13.33%) as the predominant Bacillus species. Out of 76 isolates, only 18 Bacillus spp expressed glutamic acid producing potentials. Generally, the fermentation occurred at acidic pH 4.00 to 5.60, with cell yields (Turbidity at540 nm) between 0.085±0.006 to 1.934±0.007 for all the bacillus isolates. Comparatively, Bacillus subtilis from “Dadawan-soya” exhibited the highest L-glutamic acid yield (7.27 mg/ml), followed by Bacillus pumilus (6.19 mg/ml) obtained from “Dadawan-soya”, with least yield (0.49 mg/ml) of L-glutamic acid for Bacillus subtilis isolated from “Dadawan-batso”. Consequently, the glutamic acid producing Bacillus subtilis strain isolated from “Dadawan-soya” could be adopted as defined starter culture to improve production of “Dadawa”.