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Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods to Investigate the Predominant Microorganisms Associated with Wet Processed Coffee

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Abstract

The fermentation process of Yunnan arabica coffee is a typical wet fermentation. Its excellent quality is closely related to microbes in the process of fermentation. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify the microorganisms in the wet method of coffee processing in Yunnan Province, China. Microbial community structure and dominant bacterial species were evaluated by traditional cultivated separation method and PCR-DGGE technology, and were further analyzed in combination with the changes of organic acid content, activity of pectinase, and physical parameters (pH and temperature). A large number of microorganisms which can produce pectinase were found. Among them, Enterobacter cowanii, Pantoea agglomerans, Enterobacteriaceae bacterium, and Rahnella aquatilis were the predominant gram-negative bacteria, Bacillus cereus was the predominant gram-positive bacterium, Pichia kluyveri, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Pichia fermentans were the predominant yeasts, and all those are pectinase-producing microorganisms. As for the contents of organic acids, oxalic was the highest, followed by acetic and lactic acids. Butyrate and propionate, which were unfavorable during the fermentation period, were barely discovered.

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2012AB006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Xiaomin Feng, Honghong Dong, Pan Yang & Jie Lv

  2. Pu’er Institute of Pu-erh Tea, Pu’er City, 665000, Yunnan, China

    Ruijuan Yang

  3. Institute for Applied Ecology New Zealand, School of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Jun Lu

  4. School of Interprofessional Health Studies, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Jun Lu

  5. Institute of Biomedical Technology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Jun Lu

  6. Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China

    Jun Sheng

Authors
  1. Xiaomin Feng
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  3. Pan Yang
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Correspondence to Jie Lv or Jun Sheng.

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Feng, X., Dong, H., Yang, P. et al. Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods to Investigate the Predominant Microorganisms Associated with Wet Processed Coffee. Curr Microbiol 73, 190–195 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1047-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-016-1047-3

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