BENIFITS OF BUDU

Benefit of budu: Budu, a traditional Malaysian fermented anchovy sauce, is a nutrient-dense condiment rich in high-quality protein, calcium, and antioxidants like glutathione, which help boost immunity and fight free radicals. It supports gut health with natural probiotics, aids digestion, and contains nutrients potentially beneficial for brain health. Key Health Benefits of Budu: High Nutritional Value: Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids, including taurine. Probiotic Source: Fermentation introduces beneficial bacteria that support a healthy gut microbiome. Antioxidant Properties: Contains compounds (glutathione) that may help remove toxins and provide anti-cancer potential. Brain Health: Often referred to as "brain food" due to its nutrient profile, which may support cognitive function. Appetite Stimulant: Known to increase appetite and enhance the taste of meals, especially when paired with salads or ulam. Important Considerations: High Sodium Content: Budu is very salty, which may not be suitable for individuals with high blood pressure. Purine Content: As a fish product, it may cause issues for people with gout. Moderation: It should be consumed in moderation, ideally with vegetables and other low-salt foods to balance nutrient intake. Credits: ResearchGate Note: For the most accurate nutritional value, consume as a condiment rather than a primary protein source. The inconsistent microbiota of Budu, the Malaysian fermented anchovy sauce, revealed through 16S amplicon sequencing Muhammad Zarul Hanifah Md Zoqratt 1,✉, Han Ming Gan 2,3 Editor: Mikhail Gelfand Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMCID: PMC8557686 PMID: 34760368 Abstract Budu is a Malaysian fermented anchovy sauce produced by immersing small fishes into a brine solution for 6 to 18 months. Microbial enzymes are known to contribute to fermentation; however, not much is known about the microbial community in Budu. Therefore, a better understanding of the Budu microbiome is necessary to improve the quality, consistency, and safety of the Budu products. In this study, we collected 60 samples from 20 bottles of Budu produced by seven manufacturers. We analyzed their microbiota using V3–V4 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing when we first opened the bottle (month 0), as well as 3 and 7 months post-opening (months 3 and 7). Tetragenococcus was the dominant genus in many samples, reaching a maximum proportion of 98.62%, but was found in low abundance, or absent, in other samples. When Budu samples were not dominated by a dominant taxa, we observed a wider genera diversity such as Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Halanaerobium and Bacillus. While the taxonomic composition was relatively stable across sampling periods, samples from two brands showed a sudden increase in relative abundance of the genus Chromobacterium at month 7. Based on prediction of metagenome functions, non-Tetragenococcus-dominated samples were predicted to have enriched functional pathways related to amino acid metabolism and purine metabolism compared to Tetragenococcus-dominated samples; these two pathways are fundamental to fermentation quality and health attributes of fish sauce. Among the non-Tetragenococcus-dominated samples, contributions towards amino acid metabolism and purine metabolism were biased towards the dominant taxa when species evenness is low, while in samples with higher species evenness, the contributions towards the two pathways were predicted to be evenly distributed between taxa. Our results demonstrated that the utility of 16S sequencing to assess batch variation in fermented food production. The distinct microbiota was shown to correlate with characteristic metagenome function including functions potentially related to fermented food nutrition and quality. Keywords: Microbiome, Fermented food, Fish sauce, Tetragenococcus, 16S amplicon sequencing