**2. Regional fermented specialties in the Philippines**

There are various lactic acid-fermented indigenous food products in the Philippines. Table 1 gives a summary of these different fermented specialties found in the different regions. Although a particular product type can be seen throughout the whole country, the texture, taste, and appearance would vary depending on the local taste, materials used, and process employed. For example, bagoong is a common fermented fish paste found all over the Philippines but the characteristic of the product found in Luzon is different from that found in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Bagoong also takes on different names; there is bagoong na isda, bagoong alamang, bagoong na sisi, and guinamos (Sanchez, 2008). A product that is processed in a similar manner is dayok; it is made of brined fish entrails. Research indicates that this is also a lactic acid-fermented food but the LAB involved have not been identified yet (Besas and Dizon, 2012). Longanisa is sausage made of beef, pork, or chicken. It also takes on many forms depending on where it is made. The more famous ones are Vigan Longanisa in Northern Luzon, Pampanga Longanisa in Central Luzon, Lucban Longanisa in Southern Luzon, and Cebu Longanisa in the Visayas. The tastes vary from spicy, garlicky, sour, to sweet.

In lactic acid-fermented foods, LAB are important in preventing the growth of spoilage organisms, and altering flavor, aroma, and texture of the product. Although LAB are initially present in low numbers in the raw materials used, they soon proliferate as other organisms are inhibited by the initial addition of salt and as the continuous growth of LAB decreases the pH of the food making it less conducive for growth of other organisms. Recent studies, however, have shown that there are a lot more benefits that can be derived from LAB in traditional fermented foods.

572 Lactic Acid Bacteria – R & D for Food, Health and Livestock Purposes

under controlled conditions. However, with the advent of molecular techniques, the enumeration of microorganisms missed by culture-dependent methods is now possible. Also, as more LAB metabolites, such as bacteriocins, are being reported, a wider database

As the production and consumption of traditional fermented food products become increasingly relevant in the face of rapidly increasing population and food insecurity, more research and development to ensure the safety and nutritional quality of these fermented products is warranted. For a more extensive discussion of the principles and technology of Philippine fermented foods, the readers are directed to Sanchez (2008). This book is a detailed reference based on decades of research. Some data from the book will be presented again here in addition to other data from more recent studies. It is not the intention of this present paper to repeat what has been presented in the book, especially regarding fermentation processes, but only to present, as complete as possible, the data that are

This paper aims to briefly review the various lactic acid-fermented indigenous fermented specialties in the different regions of the Philippines. Majority of the discussion will focus on recent data gathered from bacteriocin research and metagenomics studies of Philippine fermented specialties. Lastly, the health applications of the different fermented food

There are various lactic acid-fermented indigenous food products in the Philippines. Table 1 gives a summary of these different fermented specialties found in the different regions. Although a particular product type can be seen throughout the whole country, the texture, taste, and appearance would vary depending on the local taste, materials used, and process employed. For example, bagoong is a common fermented fish paste found all over the Philippines but the characteristic of the product found in Luzon is different from that found in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Bagoong also takes on different names; there is bagoong na isda, bagoong alamang, bagoong na sisi, and guinamos (Sanchez, 2008). A product that is processed in a similar manner is dayok; it is made of brined fish entrails. Research indicates that this is also a lactic acid-fermented food but the LAB involved have not been identified yet (Besas and Dizon, 2012). Longanisa is sausage made of beef, pork, or chicken. It also takes on many forms depending on where it is made. The more famous ones are Vigan Longanisa in Northern Luzon, Pampanga Longanisa in Central Luzon, Lucban Longanisa in Southern Luzon, and Cebu Longanisa in the Visayas. The tastes vary from

In lactic acid-fermented foods, LAB are important in preventing the growth of spoilage organisms, and altering flavor, aroma, and texture of the product. Although LAB are initially present in low numbers in the raw materials used, they soon proliferate as other organisms are inhibited by the initial addition of salt and as the continuous growth of LAB decreases the pH of the food making it less conducive for growth of other organisms. Recent

for identification and comparison with potential novel products are now available.

available regarding LAB present in indigenous/traditional fermented foods.

products and their development as functional foods will be evaluated.

**2. Regional fermented specialties in the Philippines** 

spicy, garlicky, sour, to sweet.



Lactic Acid Bacteria in Philippine Traditional Fermented Foods 575

have a relatively broad antimicrobial spectrum, against many food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, (5) show a bactericidal mode of action, usually acting on the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane: no cross resistance with antibiotics, and (6) have genetic determinants that are usually plasmid-encoded, facilitating genetic manipulation" (Apaga,

LAB bacteriocins have attracted attention in recent years because of their generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status and good value as natural biopreservatives which can find applications in the food and cosmetic industries (Cleveland et al., 2001; Daeschel, 1993; Riley and Wertz, 2002). Nisin, produced by strains of *Lactococcus lactis*, has been used in over 50 countries as anti-listerial and anti-clostridium substance. LAB bacteriocins with selective inhibition on food pathogens such as *Listeria monocytogenes*, but no inhibition on important lactic acid bacterial inocula such as the noted probiotic *Lactobacillus paracasei* or *Lactobacillus rhamnosus*; and yogurt-producing *Lactobacillus delbrueckii* subsp. *bulgaricus* and *Lactococcus thermophilus*, may provide advantage over those that have a wider spectrum of antimicrobial activity and would kill these beneficial organisms, including nisin (De Vos, 1993; Jack and Ray, 1995; Nielsen et al., 1990). Hence, efforts on the search for LAB bacteriocins and elucidation of their properties are actively being pursued by several research laboratories. The future holds a wide array of LAB bacteriocins available for

Some efforts on the isolation of bacteriocin-producing LAB had been started for more than a decade now in two major research institutions in the country namely: University of the Philippines Los Banos (specifically, the National Institutes of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology or BIOTECH-UPLB and the Institute of Biological Sciences or IBS-UPLB) and the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center, Visayas State University (VSU). These two institutions branched out knowledge on bacteriocin research through affiliate tutorship, as thesis advisers and as trainors to students and staff from a few other academic institutions which also did bacteriocin researches like University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of the Philippines Manila (UPM), De La Salle University (DLSU) and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). BIOTECH-UPLB and IBS-UPLB jointly worked on bacteriocins of *Lactobacillus plantarum* or plantaricins and those of *Pediococcus acidilactici* or pediocins. On the other hand, VSU devoted some efforts on the enterocins of *Enterococcus* spp. (Tan et al., 2001). DLSU also tried isolation of bacteriocin-producing LAB for food applications. UST was able to isolate bacteriocinlike inhibitory substances against medically important pathogens like *K. pneumoniae*  (Dedeles et al., 2011). UPM and ADMU worked on human and animal health

Various fermented food products with proteinaceous components were the major sources of isolated LAB for bacteriocin screening. Such fermented food products are home-grown or produced by small enterprises and are still commercially available from

**3.2. Isolation and identification of bacteriocin-producing LAB** 

2012 as cited from Abriouel et al., 2007).

various specific applications.

applications of bacteriocins.

(Sources: Banaay et al., 2004; Besas and Dizon, 2012; Lee, 1999; Olympia et al., 1995; Sanchez, 2008; Tan et al., 2007)

**Table 1.** Regional Lactic Acid-Fermented Specialties in the Philippines
