Cereal-based porridges are among fermented foods with a composite microbiota. The objective of this work is to characterize the microbiota of porridge. Samples of porridge were collected in Ouagadougou and analyzed according
to standard methods in microbiology. The presumed strains obtained were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Technological abilities were estimated by tests for resistance to acid pH, bile, antibiotics and antimicrobial, proteolytic and lipolytic activities. All presumptive Bacillus , lactic acid bacteria and yeast were characterized by PCR. Four (BC1a; BC9b; BC2a and BC1b) strains were confirmed to Bacillus by PCR, 6 strains to Lactobacillus and only to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All strains were sensitive to two antibiotics gentamycin and imipenem. In contrast, all strains were resistant to oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, streptomycin, penicillin and ticarcillin. Strains tested were resistant to bile but in terms of pH this resistance was relative. Potential probiotic strains have been shown to be effective in inhibiting pathogens. Proteolytic and lipolytic activities were positive on all strains. The characterization of strains, although concerned with a nonexhaustive list of primers, has made it possible to confirm the strains that may be of good quality probiotics if a quantitative study is carried out on technological aptitudes.

Bacillus, Lactic Bacteria, Yeast, Porridge, Probiotic