IDENTIFICATION OF HIGH ACETIC ACID-YIELDING BACTERIA FROM NIPA SAP

Abstract

Eighteen gram-negative bacilli and cocci were selected from 40 isolates in naturally fermenting nipa sap from Paombong, Bulacan. When grown and screened in pasteurized nipa sap, 10 high acetic acid-yielding isolates were further selected. Based on their morphological and physiological characteristics, they were identified as Acetobacter aceti subsp. aceti, A. paradoxus subsp. paradoxus, six isolates of A. ascendens subsp. ascendens, A. lovaniensis subsp. lovaniensis and A. rancens subsp. pasteurianus.
Among the identified bacteria, A. aceti subsp. aceti produced the highest amount of acetic acid in pasteurized nipa sap. This bacterium responded positively to most of the physiological tests that were used. The utilization of glucose, ethanol and other nutrients by bacteria for acetic acid production was found to be dependent on their physiological characteristics.