Acidification and Nutritional Changes During Controlled Fermentation of Bambusa spinosa Roxb. Shoots Using Indigenous Lactic Acid Bacteria

This study evaluated two indigenous lactic acid bacteria isolates as starter cultures for controlled fermentation of Bambusa spinosa Roxb. shoots. BSISO1 and BSISO14, recovered from fresh B. spinosa Roxb. shoots, were selected based on colony morphology and Gram stain reaction. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the isolates were putatively identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BSISO1 and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus BSISO14. Three fermentation treatments were established: BSISO1-inoculated, BSISO14-inoculated, and uninoculated spontaneous fermentation. The inoculated treatments received 3% (v/v) starter culture and were fermented for 14 days. The pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) were monitored every two days, while fat, reducing sugar, protein, and crude fiber were measured at the end of fermentation. Treatment, fermentation day, and their interaction significantly affected acidification. BSISO1 produced the lowest overall pH and highest overall TTA, followed by BSISO14, while spontaneous fermentation showed the weakest acidification. Fermentation markedly reduced reducing sugar and crude fiber relative to fresh shoots, whereas fat remained relatively stable. BSISO14 showed numerically higher protein and crude fiber values than spontaneous fermentation. These results indicate preliminary potential that BSISO1 and BSISO14 can support controlled fermentation of B. spinosa shoots, with BSISO1 showing stronger acidification performance. Further microbial, metabolomic, sensory, safety, and shelf-life evaluations are required before practical starter-culture application.