VOLUME 18 (Supplement)

A metagenomic analysis of the microbial community structures in the winemaking stages of ‘Baya’: An indigenous heritage rice wine of Batad, Ifugao, Philippines

Baya an indigenous rice wine from Batad, Ifugao, Philippines, holds a significant place in community festivities, social gatherings, and rituals. Using binukbok as the starter culture, the fermentation process transforms the initial juice, tonoh, into Baya wine. Despite its cultural importance, traditional Baya wine is losing favor to commercially produced variants as well as the decreasing interest from younger generations of winemakers. To date, the identification of microbial communities in the stages of making Baya wine remains scientifically unstudied. This study therefore aimed to identify and analyze the microbial communities in binukbok, tonoh, and Baya wine, examining their relative abundance, Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), and microbial succession. Through this, the fermentation process of Baya is better understood while setting the stage for further studies relating to traditional native winemaking. By integrating modern scientific techniques with traditional practices, it helps in preserving the authenticity of the native wine. This not only improves the economic state of the region, but this also allows for the appreciation of our own culture by showcasing our heritage products and heirlooms to the present generation and the next. Samples of binukbok, tonoh, and the resulting Baya wine were obtained from Batad, Ifugao, and were sent for DNA extraction, amplicon sequencing, and analyzed using QIIME2. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed common genera across all samples: Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Staphylococcus, and Weissella. For 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis, it was found that unassigned sequences dominated both the starter culture and wine samples, while Lactobacillus still predominated in the juice sample. Putative identification through manual NCBI BLAST search revealed Saccharomyces as the dominant OTU at the genus level. Alpha diver sity revealed increasing species richness, from juice to starter culture to wine, while beta diversity highlighted distinct microbial communities among samples. This study is a pioneering scientific report on the microbial community structures present in the winemaking stages of the Ifugao indigenous rice wine Baya.