Starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides), Bacilli (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis), yeasts (Candida tropicalis) and moulds (Rhizopus oryzae), isolated from traditional cassava ferments used for the prepration of the three main attieke types (Adjoukrou, Alladjan and Ebrie) were tested singly or in combination in cassava fermentation for their contribution to acid production, protein enrichment, detoxification and softening. All tested species and traditional cassava ferments showed an ability to ferment cassava dough by generating significant changes of at least one of the tested parameters. But mixed starter cultures were more efficient than the single cultures developed and their corresponding cassava traditional inocula. The three mixed starter cultures set displayed good acidification (until 7 times more), improved protein content of cassava dough and better softening and rapid and intense elimination of cyanogenic glucosides (more than 50% in only 6 h). Thus, it appears that the controlled mixed starter cultures were showed to have the most interesting technology profiles for any application at small or large scale.

This study was carried out to determine organic acids in palm saps throughout tapping. Palm wine sample at different stages of processing namely tapping, were collected and analysed for physical, biochemical, nutritional and microbiological parameters (pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), fermenting microorganisms) extracted from two varieties of palm oil tree (Dura and Tenera). Microbiological and biochemical contents of palm wine were determined during the tapping of Dura and Tenera felled oil palm trees for 4 weeks. Some differences in chemical compositions between fresh palm wine samples of two palm trees varieties were observed. In addition the results of pH, total titratable acid and organic acids confirmed the importance of lactic acid bacteria in the tapping of palm wine. The organic acids of fresh palm wines collected during tapping are showed in Fig 3. Organic acids detected in the freshly collected palm wine (first day) included oxalic (0.1