Sixteen colonies of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were selected and screened for their ability to produce bacteriocin by agar well diffusion method using the supernatant of centrifuged test cultures. Four isolates inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli. Lactobacillus plantarum (6) and Lactobacillus brevis (5) were the most dominant species. The remaining were Lactobacillus lactis (2), Streptococcus lactis (2) and Lactobacillus fermentum (1). Lactobacillus spp. accounted for 87.5% of all isolates. LAB4 (Lactobacillus plantarum) showed some levels of antimicrobial activity after 15, 20 and 25 min heat treatments at 100 o C against Listeria monocytogenes. While antimicrobial activity of LAB70 (Lactobacillus lactis) was against both Listeria monocytogenes (after 20 and 25 min) and E. coli 0157:H7 (after 15, 20 and 25 min) heat treatment at 100 o C. All the lactic acid bacteria used in this study produced cellulose. The correlation between cellulose production (an adhesion factor) and bacteria growth was highly significant after 72 h of incubation having a R 2 = 0.800. This study offers useful information on growth and cellulose production as factors affecting the efficacy of bacteriocin produced by these strains which could be good for biopreservation.

Local herbalists in Nigeria claimed that extracts of certain parts, that is, stem and seeds obtained from Crinum glaucum,Treculia africana, Erythrina mildbaedi, Ficus thonningii and Xylopis aethiopica are used to treat tuberculosis patients. We conducted a laboratory-based study of this claim scientifically using the procedures employed by the local herbalists. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain used in this study was obtained locally and characterized based on cultural and biochemical tests on isolates of bacteriologically proven tuberculosis positive patients. The M. tuberculosis strains were found resistant to all the extracts. There was no growth on the isoniazid drug containing medium which was used as control. There was growth on all the LJ medium containing the extracts. The results of these findings shows that the extracts of these plants exhibited no significant anti-microbial activity against M. tuberculosis and therefore not recommendable for clinical use as an anti-tuberculosis drug.

Many studies on urban work trips in Nigeria have focused on major urban centres like Lagos, Kano and Ibadan which are the main commercial and industrial centres. Studies of urban spatial structure and work trips patterns in medium sized cities and towns like Akure, Ilesa, Ondo and Osogbo in SouthWestern Nigeria have received little or no attention. The fewness of these studies has made it difficult to have access to adequate and appropriate information and data base for any effective and meaningful planning for urban mobility patterns in this category of cities in Nigeria. This study examines the structure of urban work trips in a traditional but economically, socially and politically dynamic Yoruba town of Ilesa which is the most important town in Ijesa Region in Osun State. A systematic random sampling procedure was employed to administer 1,365 questionnaires (2.5 of the total heads of households in the city) heads of selected households spread across eleven traffic analysis zones. Using descriptive and cartographic techniques with Arc view 3.2, geographical information system (GIS) software, the spatial structure of work trips pattern, origins and destinations of urban residents in Ilesa were clearly discerned. The study concludes that a greater spread of socio-economic facilities would not only enhance accessibility but also reduce the pressure on main transport arteries in the metropolis. It is suggested that a renewal of physical planning of Ilesa and cities of similar sizes in Nigeria would facilitate increase in the mobility of the city dwellers

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