Identification and characterization of antimicrobial activity of bacteria strains from Budu

Budu is a fermented food product mainly consists of fish (anchovies) mixed with salt in ratio of 3:1. Bacterial strains isolated from budu samples from a small scale domestic factory located at Kota Bharu, Kelantan were tested for their antimicrobial activities. Antimicrobial activities of the four isolated bacterial strains (isolates B1, B2, C1 and C2) were evaluated against four pathogenic indicator organisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Eschericia coli and Bacillus subtillis). All isolates showed different degree of inhibition towards respective pathogenic indicator organisms. The identification of the isolates were conducted via biochemical tests and 16s rRNA gene sequence analysis. All the four isolates were identified as Gram-positive bacteria and tested positive for catalase activity. Morphologically, two of the isolates (isolates B1 and B2) were cocci while another two isolates (isolates C1 and C2) were rod shape.16s rRNA gene sequence analysis identified strains B1 as Staphylococcus sp., strain C1 identified as Bacillus cereus sp, C2 identified as Staphylococcus sp and B2 was unidentified. LAB can survive in mostly fermented food and the strain that showed antimicrobial activities have huge potential benefiting human in various industries for future.