Bioactivity of tempe by inhibiting adhesion of ETEC to intestinal cells, as influenced by fermentation substrates and starter pure cultures Original Research Article

Soya bean tempe is known for its bioactivity in reducing the severity of diarrhoea in piglets. This bioactivity is caused by an inhibition of the adhesion of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) to intestinal cells. In this paper, we assessed the bioactive effect of soya tempe on a range of ETEC target strains, as well as the effect of a range of cereal and leguminous substrates and starter pure cultures. Soya bean tempe extracts strongly inhibited the adhesion of ETEC strains tested. All tempe made from other leguminous seeds were as bioactive as soya bean tempe, whereas tempe made from cereals showed no bioactivity. Using soya beans as substrate, fermentation with several fungi (Mucor, Rhizopus spp. and yeasts) as well as Bacillus spp. resulted in bioactive tempe, whereas fermentation with lactobacilli showed no bioactivity. The active component is released or formed during the fermentation and is not present in microbial biomass and only partly in unfermented substrates. The bioactivity being not specific for a single ETEC strain, makes the bioactive tempe relevant for applications in animal husbandry.