Table 3.

Microbial diversity detected in aguamiel and during pulque fermentation.

Bacteria	Yeasts/Fungi	Remarkable metabolic traits defining sensorial properties of aguamiel or pulque	References
Lactobacillus sp. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, L. dextranicum Zymomonas mobilis	Saccharomyces cerevisiae	Essential microorganisms responsible for acid (lactic acid), alcoholic and production of EPS	Sánchez-Marroquín and Hope, 1953; Sánchez-Marroquín et al., 1957
	Yeasts isolated from aguamiel: Candida lusitaneae, Klyuveromyces marxianus var bulagricus (+), S. cerevisiae Yeast isolated from pulque: C. valida (+), S. cerevisiae (chevalieri), S. cerevisiae (capensis), K. marxianus var lactis (+)	Several isolates of C. valida, S. cerevisiase (chevalier) isolated from pulque were able to resist to >10% of alcohol. Potential relevance in ethanol production during the fermentation and resistance to killer toxins	Estrada-Godina et al., 2001
Acetobacter aceti, A. aceti subsp. xylinus, Bacillus simplex, B. subtilis, Cellulomonas sp., Escherichia sp., Kokuria rosea, Lactobacillus sp., L. delbrueckii, L. vermiforme, Leuconostoc sp., L. mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Macrococcus caseolyticus, Micrococcus luteus, Sarcina sp., Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis	Cryptococcus sp., Candida parapsilosis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Debaryomyces carsonii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Kluyveromyces lactis, K. marxianus, Geotrichum candidum, Pichia sp., P. guilliermondii, P. membranifaciens, Rhodotorula sp., R. mucilaginosa, Saccharomyces bayanus, S. cerevisiae, S. pastorianus, Torulaspora delbrueckii	Essential microorganisms responsible for lactic and acetic fermentation (LAB and acetic acid bacteria), alcoholic fermentation (Z. mobilis and S. cerevisase), EPS production y (Leucocnostoc sp.) and putrefactive bacteria	Lappe-Oliveras et al., 2008
Analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries allowed to identify Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. kefir, L. acetotolerans, L. hilgardii, L. plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, L. pseudomesenteroides, Acetobacter pomorum, Gluconobacter oxydans, Zymomonas mobilis, Flavobacterium jhonsonae, Hafnia alvei		Homofermentative L. acidophilus was identified as the most abundant microorganism in three analyzed samples from different geographical origin, suggesting a possible essential role in lactic acid fermentation. L. mesenteroides was present in low proportion respect lactobacilli. Z. mobilis and AAB were detected low percentage or absent. Presence of possible putrefactive or contaminant bacteria	Escalante et al., 2004
A combined culture dependent and 16S rDNA libraries approach allowed to identify those microorganisms present in freshly collected aguamiel and during a 6 h of fermentation. α-Proteobaceria: Acetobacter maloruma, A. orientalisb, Z. mobilis subsp. pomaceaeb, γ-Proteobacteria: Citrobacter sp., Enterobacter sp.a, E. agglomeransa, Erwinia rhaponticia, Kuyvera acorbatac, K. cochleaea, Providencia sp.a, Serratia grimensiia, Acinetobacter radioresistensb, Sterotrophomonas sp.a, Chryseobacterium sp. Firmicutes: Bacillus sp.a, B. licheniformisa, Lactobacillus sp.c, L. acidophilusb, L. hilgardiib, L. paracollinoidesb, L. sanfranciscensisb, Lactocoocus sp.a, L. lactisa, L. lactis susp. lactisa Leuconostoc kimchic, L. citreumc, L. gasocomitatumb, L. mesenteroidesc, L. pseudomesenteroidesc, Pediococcus urinaeequia, Streptococcus devieseia	S. cerevisiaeb	Leuconostoc citreum and L. kimchi species were identified as the most abundant LAB in aguamiel. After mixing fresh aguamiel with previously fermented pulque, L. acidophilus, L. mesenteroides were the most abundant LAB during 6 h of fermentation. E. agglomerans was the most abundant non-LAB during the first 3 h of fermentation. Z. mobilis and AAB were absent in aguamiel but detected in low proportion during the fermentation process Total bacterial counts (CFU/mL) for LAB and total aerobic mesophilic bacteria were constant during 6 h of fermentation. Total yeast counts (CFU/mL) detected in aguamiel increased after mixing aguamiel with fermented pulque, increased until 3 h and maintained constant until the end of the fermentation	Escalante et al., 2008

(+) Indicates killer activity detected.

^aIdentified from a culture isolate.

^bIdentified from 16S rDNA clone library.

^cIdentified by culture and non-culture dependent approaches.