SCREENING OF MICROBIAL ISOLATES FROM CAPTIVE LUWAK (PARADOXURUS HERMAPHRODITUS) FECES IN CIMANONG VALLEY AS A STARTER CULTURE FOR OPTIMIZING WET FERMENTATION OF ARABICA COFFEE (COFFEA ARABICA) IN WEST JAVA

• Main Author: Pramesti Sekar Apsari, Amisesha
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Ilmu hayati ; Biologi
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85707
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Coffee is one of the most important commodities in the world after crude oil and plays a crucial role in Indonesia's economic growth. One of the coffee products produced in Indonesia is civet coffee. Although it has a unique taste and aroma, the production process of civet coffee is considered less hygienic and exploits civets. To address this issue, the development of a starter culture from civet feces is being pursued to control fermentation and thus improve the final quality of the coffee. The aim of this research is to optimize the wet fermentation of Arabica coffee cherries using a starter culture from cultured civet feces from Lembah Cimanong to enhance coffee quality. Enzyme activity tests for protease, amylase, pectinase, and cellulase were conducted on six bacteria and five yeasts obtained from previous research. Based on enzymatic activity values, two of the best isolates were identified: the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum, with protease production capability (3.09 ± 0.39 cm), and the yeast Nakaseomyces glabrata, with protease (5.92 ± 0.2 cm), amylase (6.18 ± 0.16 cm), pectinase (3.82 ± 0.38 cm), and cellulase (5.15 ± 0.17 cm) production capabilities. The optimal harvesting age for both isolates was determined based on growth curves. Wet fermentation of Arabica coffee cherries was conducted using three different variations: one with the addition of 10% (v/w) of bacterial starter culture, one with yeast, and one with a mixture of both bacteria and yeast, each at a concentration of 10^7 CFU/mL. The coffee was then dried until the moisture content reached 11-12%. Microbial community dynamics analysis showed that the addition of starter cultures could increase the total number of microbes from the 6th to the 12th hour and could dominate the fermentation process. According to quality and flavor tests by a certified Q-grader, the addition of starter cultures can enhance the flavor and aroma of Arabica coffee. The highest cupping score was achieved by the yeast-only variation with a score of 82.75 based on the Coffee Value Assessment 2024 protocol and the LAB-only variation with a score of 82.5 based on the 2004 cupping test protocol.