Predicted Functional Potentials of Bacterial Communities in Fermented Maize Products From Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin via 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing and PICRUSt2

ABSTRACT Fermented maize products are integral to the diets of many African communities. Despite their cultural significance and health benefits, little is known about the metabolic potential of their microbial populations. This study utilized 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from the NCBI to characterize the functional capabilities of microbiomes in six maize‐based fermented foods. Quality assessment and taxonomic classification were performed using QIIME2 with the SILVA 138 database, while functional predictions were generated with PICRUSt2 and analyzed in R. Taxonomic profiling revealed that Firmicutes dominated all samples, reaching peak abundance in Mawe (94.9%) and S37_Fermented_Maize (91.4%). Proteobacteria were elevated in S19_Fermented_maize (up to 36.5%) and S38_Dehulled_Maize (16.0%). At the genus level, Lactobacillus was most abundant in S5_Mawe (82.2%) and S6_Mawe (79.6%), while Acetobacter peaked in S19_Fermented_maize (32.7%). Regarding functional predictions, Lactobacillus appeared to drive key KEGG Orthologs and pathways, specifically ABC transporters, transcriptional regulation, and DNA replication mechanisms. In contrast, Weissella and Streptococcus contributed notably to peptide/nickel transport, L‐lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), and nucleotide biosynthesis. Acetobacter was prominent in Ogi, showing a connection with site‐specific methylation (EC 2.1.1.72) and phospholipid synthesis (PHOSLIPSYN‐PWY). Notably, commercial Mawe samples exhibited higher predicted activities related to transposase activity (K07496), energy metabolism, and peptidoglycan maturation (PWY0‐1586). These findings demonstrate that while traditional fermentation processes maintain a consistent set of metabolic functions predominantly driven by Lactobacillus , distinct variations exist depending on product type and production approach. These predicted functions provide a baseline for further experimental validation of the metabolic contributions of microbial communities in fermented maize products.