Special Issue (2) 2026
Selected Papers from the:

3rd International Conference on Industry-Academia Initiatives in Biotechnology and Chemistry (iCIABC2025)

Page range 1-141

DOI:

Page 80-86

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Sen Yung Jie, Mohd Shafiq Mohd Sueb and Shariza Jamek

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ANALYSIS OF BACTERIAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN FERMENTED MUSTARD GREENS THROUGH AMPLICON SEQUENCING

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Abstract 

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This study analyzed the liquid and solid fractions of fermented mustard greens to elucidate microbial diversity, community composition, and functional attributes. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted using the QIAamp PowerFecal Pro Kit, then amplified with 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) primers targeting the hypervariable V3 region, followed by high-throughput sequencing and taxonomic classification in QIIME2 (Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology, version 2). Alpha-diversity metrics (Chao1) indicated only modest, statistically non-significant differences between the brine and leafy fractions, suggesting similarly rich microbial communities. Beta-diversity analyses, based on Bray–Curtis principal coordinate analysis revealed moderate compositional distinctions that may become more pronounced with increased sample size. The bacterial communities were dominated by Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes, with several genera of potential beneficial or fermentative importance, including Bifidobacterium, Weissella, Ligilactobacillus, Faecalibacterium, and Brevibacterium. Low-abundance taxa associated with potential pathogenicity, including Cutibacterium acnes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Clostridium perfringens, were detected; however, their presence based on sequencing data alone does not establish a health risk or pathogenic activity. PICRUSt2-based functional profiling identified significant five key metabolic pathways—L-Methionine biosynthesis III, S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine biosynthesis, Pantothenate and Coenzyme A biosynthesis, Taxadiene biosynthesis, and Glucose/Xylose degradation. Overall, both fractions exhibited distinct but potentially functionally diverse microbial communities, highlighting fermented mustard greens as a promising source of microbial diversity and predicted metabolic potential that warrants further investigation through metabolomic and functional validation studies. 

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