Twenty six Chinese starters, “Murcha”, were collected from 25 different parts of Kingdoma ofNepal from December, 1993 to January, 1994.Their yeasts and molds were isolated and identified. Yeasts were pmesent in 24 kinds of “Murcha” in the range of 1.0×10
7-1.6×10
9 colony forming units per (CFU) per gram whereas molds were in 26 kiuds of “Murcha” in the range of 3.0×10
3-4.2×10
6 CFU per gram.Isolates belonging to genus
Saccharomycopsis were found in 22 out of 24 kinds of “Murcha” and consituted more than 50% of the yeast distribution ratio in 18 kinds of “Murcha”.The one group of the isolates was identified as
Saccharomycopsis fibuligera that distributed 11% to 100% of the yeast distribution ratio in 21 kinds of “Murcha”, especially 100% in 10 kinds.Saccharomycopsis fibuligera was confirmed to be the most dominant yeast in “Murcha” from Nepal.Theresult was the same as finding for Chinese starters from other Asian countries. The other group of the genus isolated from 4 kinds of “Murcha” hydrolyzed starch as vigorously as
S. fibuligera but differed in assimilation of galactose and growth on vitamin-free medium.Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated in only 5 kinds of “Murcha”. “Murcha” from which
S. cerevisiae was not isolated, had been left on shelves before our purchase and was not fresh.On the other hand, mold isolates belonging to genera
Rhizopus, Absidia, and
Mucor were found to be dominant, but none of them showed high saccharifying ability.Therefore,
Saccharomycopsis fibuligera is likely to play a major role in saccharification of Chinese starter “Murcha” from Nepal like the ones from other countries.
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