Isolation and characterization of yeast species from ensete ventricosum product; Kocho and Bulla collected from Angacha district

Kocho and Bula are fermented product of Enset (Ensete ventricosum). It is the staple food for 20 million people in Ethiopia. The aim of study was to isolate, identify and characterize yeast species from fermented kocho and bulla by using Biolog Micro station. 300 Kocho samples were collected from Angacha District. 0.1ml of serially diluted samples were Streaked on yeast pepton dextrose agar and incubated at 280C. Pure yeast colony inoculum were prepared at 9ml distilled water at 49% +2 turbidometer and transferred in to YT micro plate. Incubated for 24-72 hours at 28oC and micro plate reading were carried out using MicroLog 3 Software version. 4.20.05. Seven yeast species were identified from study samples. Biolog Micro station 100% probability and >0.5 Similarity read identify Cryptococcus albidus Var aerus, Guilliermondella selenospora, Rhodotorula acheniorum and Trichosporon beigelii. 99% Cryptococcus terreus A, 98% Candida zylandase, 86% Kluyveramyces delphensis respectively. Characterization of yeast involved in kocho fermentation is very important for formulation of starter culture, improving, standardizing and modernizing quality of traditional Enset fermentation and preparation.