PHYSICO-BIOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE DRY SPICES FROM JAN-BAZAAR, KOLKATA

Abstract

Seventeen different dry spices including herbs were used to study their physico-biochemical features and the associated microorganisms. The moisture content and pH of the dry spice were determined. The amount of total carbohydrate was found low in most of the cases (2 to 18%). The free amino acids like glycine, alanine, arginine, lysine, phenylalanine etc. were common in spices and the available lipids present were similar to di-, tri-acyl glycerols and other free fatty acids when determined following TLC of chloroform soluble fraction of spice. The diluted suspension of spice was plated on nutrient agar, eosine methylene blue agar, blood agar, Rose Bengal agar and potato dextrose agar media to take the viable count as well as to determine the variety of microbes. A total of 240 microbial strains were isolated, 84.17% were fungi and 15.83% bacteria including a few Actinomycetes. The predominating bacteria and fungi were genus Bacillus and Penicillium, respectively