Fermentation of non-sterilized fish biomass with a mixed culture of film-forming yeasts and lactobacilli and its effect on innate and adaptive immunity in mice.

Non-sterilized fish waste containing fish bones was fermented using combined starter cultures of film-forming yeast ( Candida ethanolica ) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB; Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ) in order to obtain a liquefied fermented broth without spoiling. During the entire fermentation, the number of LAB cells was maintained at a high level (6 × 10 8 –5 × 10 7 cells/ml). Although the number of general bacteria was 10 6 cell/ml after adding non-sterilized fish biomass, its growth was suppressed to be 1–3 × 10 4 cells/ml. The entire biomass had completely liquefied and the fermented broth contained all 20 α-amino acids composed of protein and also various kinds of minerals in abundance. The weight of mice group fed the fermented broth content feed (sample feed) for 31 days significantly increased compared with that fed no broth feed (control feed) (21.37 g vs 20.76 g ( p p p