Bioprospecting of Traditional Fermented Beer of Northeast India: With Special Reference to the Galo Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Northeast India is well known for its unique practices of preparing alcoholic beverages and other fermented foods. Traditionally prepared rice beer is thought to possess various medicinal and therapeutic properties due to the utilization of numerous indigenous plant species during its preparation. It exhibits rich microbial diversity, whose synergistic action converts the starchy components of rice into beneficial metabolites such as sugar, alcohol and organic acids. It is locally believed that traditional rice beer is effective in treating worm expulsion, insomnia, body aches, inflammation and urinary issues. The bioprospecting result re-establishes our belief in using traditional rice beer as a medicinal probiotic while retaining all of its other sensory properties as a beer. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of traditional rice beer from Northeast India, with special reference to the Galo tribe, an ethnic community of Arunachal Pradesh. It discusses the ingredients, methods of preparation and associated traditional knowledge, along with the ethnobotanical aspects of starter cake preparation. In addition, the review examines microbial diversity, fermentation dynamics and metabolite profiles across different regions. Strategies for enhancing the shelf life of the rice beer are also discussed. Thus, with appropriate scientific interventions, traditionally prepared rice beer can be effectively commercialized, supporting traditional knowledge systems and boosting the economy of tribal communities.

@article{nyumpi2026,
  author  = {Nyumpi Bagra1, Shreya Borthakur2, Plabita Das1,  Sudeshna Saikia3, Talo Biju4 and Robin Doley1*},
  title   = {{Bioprospecting of Traditional Fermented Beer of Northeast India: With Special Reference to the Galo Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh}},
  journal = {Journal of Bioresearch},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {5},
  number  = {2},
  pages   = {1-16},
  doi     = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20033558},
}