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Abstract
Lactobacillus delbruckii, L. coryneformis and Saccharomyces sp. were found, among 214 isolates from cassava-processing environments to be the highest producers of linamarase, amylase and lysine. The organisms were inoculated into cassava mash, individually, and with all three mixed together, and fermented un-dewatered for up to 120 h. The quality of garri produced from mash inoculated with a combination of all three organisms was greatly improved in terms of reduced cyanide content and the presence of lysine. When compared with garri made from singly inoculated mash, and the control, the multiple inoculated mash had the lowest cyanide content (0.3μg/g) after 24 h, as compared to the control (3.1μg/g), the highest lysine content (5.05g/kg) when compared with the control (0.40 g/kg) after 48 h fermentation, and was rated as significantle (P<0.01) most acceptable by tasters. A compromise period of 48 h would appear best to ferment garri with the mixture of the three organisms, since the highest level of lysine production occurred from 48 h, although the highest cyanide reduction and the highest acceptability rating each occurred within 24 h of incubating cassava mash with the mixture of three organisms.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]