Lactic Acid Fermentation of Saccharified Solution from Rice Flour

For the preparation of a tasty fermented beverage from rice flour, suitable amylases and lactic acid bacteria were explored and selected. A glucoa-mylase from Rhizopus commercially named as gluczyme formed less reducing sugars from gelatinized rice flour than glucoamylase from As-pergillus. However, saccharified solution prepared by gluczyme was well utilized by a lactic acid bacterium isolated from a kefir, which is considered to be a bacterium closely related to Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The substances such as amino acids formed by some contaminating enzymes like protease in gluczyme are presumed to stimulate the growth of the kefir-bacterium and contribute to the formation of a favorable fermented beverage.