Quality of Kapi, Salted Shrimp Paste of Thailand, Inoculated with Bacillus spp. K-C3

The use of Bacillus spp. K-C3, isolated from commercial Kapi, salted shrimp paste of Thailand, as the starter culture for Kapi production, at different levels including 10², 10⁴, and 10⁶ CFU/g dry weight sample named Kapi-B2, Kapi-B4, and Kapi-B6, respectively, in comparison with naturally fermented Kapi (Kapi-C) was studied. All inoculated samples exhibited higher extent of proteolysis and lipolysis as indicated by higher trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptide, degree of hydrolysis, and free fatty acid content in the final products. The greater rate of fermentation in the inoculated samples directly affected characteristics of Kapi and yielded Kapi with browner color and enhanced lipid oxidation as indicated by peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values. Increased antioxidative properties, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), were obtained in Kapi with added inoculum. Moreover, those inoculated samples also contained higher intensity of volatile compounds, in which N-containing compounds, mainly pyrazine derivatives, were dominant. Kapi-B4 and Kapi-B6 showed the highest extent of these aforementioned values compared with Kapi-C and Kapi-B2. Therefore, inoculation with Bacillus spp. K-C3 at the level higher than 10⁴ CFU/g dry weight sample is a potential means to accelerate the fermentation rate and yielded Kapi with preferable characteristics.