572
In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
www.ijaa .co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Pee Re iewed
Bi-Mon hly
Vol. 6 No. 40
Sep embe - Oc obe - 2025
E hnomic obiological P ac ices and P obio ic Po en ial o Fe men ed Foods
Consumed by T ibal Communi ies o Ma a hwada Region, India
D . Sudhaka Gu e
Associa e P o esso & Head,
Depa men o Mic obiology,
M s. K.S.K. College, Beed, Maha ash a, India
Co esponding Au ho – D . Sudhaka Gu e
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.17664058
Abs ac :
T adi ional knowledge o ibal communi ies includes unique p ac ices o na u al
e men a ion, ood p ese a ion, and indigenous mic obial applica ions ha con ibu e o gu heal h
and disease esis ance. The p esen s udy explo es he e hnomic obiology o e men ed oods
consumed by ibal g oups in he Ma a hwada egion o Maha ash a wi h special ocus on isola ion
o bene icial p obio ic bac e ia, an imic obial ac i i y, and mic obial di e si y p o iling. Samples o 7
adi ionally e men ed oods and be e ages we e collec ed om Gond, Bhil, Pa dhi and Kolam
ibes. Mic obial isola ion was pe o med using selec i e media ollowed by biochemical
cha ac e iza ion and an imic obial assay agains human pa hogens (E. coli, S. au eus, Salmonella
yphi, and P. ae uginosa). Resul s con i med p esence o dominan p obio ic s ains including
Lac obacillus plan a um, L. e men um, Leuconos oc mesen e oides, and Saccha omyces ce e isiae.
Se e al isola es exhibi ed s ong inhibi o y e ec s agains es pa hogens. The s udy alida es ha
ibal e men ed oods ac as na u al bio-p ese a i es, immunomodula o s, and p obio ic ese oi s.
Hence, hese oods hold po en ial o de elopmen o communi y-based nu aceu icals, p omo ing
bo h ibal heal h and mic obial conse a ion.
Keywo ds: E hnomic obiology, T ibal Fe men ed Foods, P obio ics, Ma a hwada T ibes,
An imic obial Ac i i y, Indigenous Mic obio a
In oduc ion:
Indigenous ibal communi ies possess
deep knowledge o bio- esou ces, adi ional
e men a ion, disease ea men , and na u al
ood p ese a ion. Many o hese p ac ices a e
guided by mic oo ganisms unknowingly
used o cen u ies, ep esen ing an
unexplo ed a ea e med E hnomic obiology.
T ibal popula ions consume spon aneously
e men ed oods ich in bene icial
mic oo ganisms c ucial o gu heal h,
immuni y, and nu i ion.
The Ma a hwada egion houses
mul iple ibal g oups such as Gond, Bhil,
Kolam, and Pa dhi, who p epa e e men ed
ood i ems using na u al inocula ion wi hou
s a e cul u es. Howe e , scien i ic
documen a ion o hei mic obial di e si y
emains limi ed. Explo ing hese ood sys ems
may yield no el p obio ic s ains, bio-
p ese a i es, and an imic obial me aboli es
use ul o pha maceu ical, nu i ional, and
indus ial pu poses.
Re iew o Li e a u e:
1. Tamang e al. epo ed ha e men ed
ood mic obio a con ibu es o
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
D . Sudhaka Gu e
573
gas oin es inal balance and immune
enhancemen .
2. Sah e al. showed an imic obial
me aboli es o Lac obacillus
plan a um inhibi en e ic pa hogens.
3. Indian ibal e men a ion s udies
highligh p esence o LAB (Lac ic
Acid Bac e ia) wi h p obio ic
cha ac e is ics.
4. Ye , Ma a hwada ibal
mic obiological esou ces emain
unde -documen ed, showing a
signi ican esea ch gap.
Resea ch Gap:
Al hough India hos s ich ibal
e men ed ood cul u e, scien i ic
mic obiological p o iling, p obio ic
sc eening, and an imic obial alida ion o
ibal oods om Ma a hwada egion is
la gely unexplo ed.
Objec i es:
1. To documen e men ed oods
consumed by selec ed ibal
communi ies o Ma a hwada.
2. To isola e and iden i y dominan
mic oo ganisms om hese e men ed
p oduc s.
3. To e alua e p obio ic p ope ies and
an imic obial po en ial o isola es
agains pa hogens.
4. To analyze he ole o indigenous
mic obio a in communi y heal h and
disease p e en ion.
Hypo hesis:
T ibal e men ed oods o
Ma a hwada con ain unexplo ed p obio ic
mic obial s ains wi h s ong an imic obial
ac i i y ha con ibu e posi i ely o communi y
heal h.
Me hodology:
1. S udy A ea & Sample Collec ion:
Loca ions: T ibal pocke s o Beed,
Nanded, Pa bhani, and Hingoli
dis ic s
T ibes co e ed: Gond, Bhil, Kolam,
Pa dhi
Samples collec ed (7 ypes):
1. Handi-Dahi ( e men ed cu d)
2. Ambil (mille based e men ed d ink)
3. Fe men ed bamboo shoo s
4. Mahua lowe b ew
5. Fe men ed ice wa e (Kanji ype)
6. Local he bal e men ed chu ney
7. Fe men ed g ain pas e
2. Mic obial Isola ion & Iden i ica ion:
Media used: MRS Aga , Nu ien Aga ,
MacConkey aga , Sabou aud Dex ose
Aga
Iden i ica ion: G am s aining,
biochemical es s (Ca alase, Oxidase,
IMViC, Suga e men a ion)
3. P obio ic Sc eening Pa ame e s:
Acid ole ance (pH 2.0–3.5 su i al)
Bile sal ole ance (0.3–1%)
Au o-agg ega ion abili y
Hemolysis es (sa e y assessmen )
4. An imic obial Assay:
Aga well di usion agains :
Esche ichia coli
S aphylococcus au eus
Salmonella yphi
Pseudomonas ae uginosa
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
D . Sudhaka Gu e
574
Resul s:
Isola ed
Mic oo ganisms
F equency o
Occu ence
P obio ic T ai s
An imic obial
Ac i i y
Lac obacillus plan a um
High
S ong acid & bile
ole ance
Highly inhibi o y
L. e men um
High
Sa e, non-hemoly ic
Mode a e–High
Leuconos oc
mesen e oides
Medium
Good agg ega ion
Mode a e
Saccha omyces
ce e isiae
Medium
Suppo s gu mic obio a
Low–Mode a e
Bacillus sub ilis
Low
Spo e o ming p obio ic
Mode a e
L. plan a um showed maximum zone o inhibi ion agains S. au eus and E. coli.
Discussion:
The p esence o obus LAB s ains
con i ms ha ibal e men a ion p omo es gu -
iendly mic oo ganisms suppo ing immuni y
wi hou a i icial inoculan s. The an imic obial
ac i i y indica es na u al biop ese a ion and
he apeu ic oles. The absence o hemolysis
alida es sa e y o p obio ic applica ion.
Regula consump ion o hese oods may
explain lowe gas oin es inal diso de
p e alence in ibal die s.
Conclusion:
The s udy es ablishes ha ibal
e men ed oods ac as a na u al ese oi
o bene icial mic obes exhibi ing p obio ic
and an imic obial p ope ies. These indings
emphasize he need o p ese ing ibal
mic obial knowledge and de eloping ibal
p obio ic nu aceu ical o mula ions, which
could enhance u al heal h and gene a e
economic oppo uni ies.
Recommenda ions:
1. Es ablish a T ibal Fe men ed Food
Mic obial Reposi o y in Ma a hwada.
2. De elop communi y-based p obio ic
p oduc pipelines (e.g., p obio ic d inks,
s a e cul u es).
3. T ain ibal g oups in mic obial sa e y,
hygiene, and e men a ion
s anda diza ion.
4. Fu he molecula cha ac e iza ion ia
16S RNA sequencing is ecommended.
Re e ences:
1. Tamang, J.P., e al. “E hnic Fe men ed
Foods and Be e ages o India”, Food
Science.
2. Pa a, J. & Tamang, J. “Mic obiological
E alua ion o T adi ional Fe men s”,
IJMR.
3. Sah, B.N.P. e al. “P obio ic p ope ies
o Lac obacillus s ains”, Jou nal o
Food Sci.
4. Kuma , M., e al. “An imic obial
ac i i y o LAB om e men ed oods”,
F on Mic obiol.
