TARIM BILIMLERI DERGISI, vol.29, no.3, pp.756-764, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Hardaliye is a traditional beverage produced by fermenting red grapes with
mustard seeds and sour cherry leaves in the Thrace region of Turkey. Few
studies have been conducted that have determined the microorganisms
responsible for hardaliye fermentation, and those that have are limited to lactic
acid bacteria (LAB) using culture-dependent techniques. This study aims to
determine the bacterial dynamics of hardaliye fermentation using a cultureindependent approach, high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons.
Hardaliye was produced using the traditional method, and samples were taken
and analyzed on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 of fermentation. During the fermentation
period, the pH decreased from 3.65 to 3.23. Amplicon sequencing showed
that bacterial diversity was highest at 2 d, and lowest at 10 d, the final day.
Although Enterobacteriaceae was the most dominant family at 0 and 2 d,
Acetobacteriaceae, specifically Gluconobacter frateurii, became dominant
with ~50% relative abundance at 4 d, and increased its abundance to >98% at 6
and 10 d. Although a slight increase in the relative abundance of ~1% (0 d) to
~5% (4 d) was observed in LAB, their presence was limited. This study showed
that acetic acid bacteria should not be overlooked in hardaliye fermentation.