Primary screening of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Anacardium occidentale (bark and leaf) for antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas auroginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus showed that ethanolic extract was more effective than aqueous extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 0.05 g/ml to 0.2 g/ml .The ethanolic extract was found to be bactericidal to all the test bacteria, while the aqueous extract was found to be bacteriostatic to the test bacteria with the exception of the aqueous leaf extract that was bactericidal to Salmonella typhi. The greater the concentration of the extract, the higher the antibacterial activities exerted on the isolates. Salmonella typhi was the most sucesceptible organism to the leaf extract, while Pseudomonas auroginosa was the least sucesceptible organism. Staphphylococcus aureus was the most sucescephple to the ethanolic bark extract and Escherichia coli was the least suceptible organism.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a perishable fruit with a relatively short shelf life. The quality and nutritional value of fresh produce like tomato are affected by postharvest handling and storage conditions. This work aimed at evaluating the effects of storage methods on the shelf life and proximate composition of four varieties of local (Hausa and Yoruba Nigeran land races) and improved (Tropimech and Roma VF) tomato. The mature green fruits of each variety were manually harvested and stored. Three storage structures were employed viz., plastic crate, raffia basket and pot-in-pot refrigerator. Three botanical preservatives (plant byproducts) were used viz., wood ash from shea butter tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), sawdust from African mahogany (Khaya ivorensis) and rice (Oryza sativa) straw. Each preservative was mixed with each variety of tomatoes in 1:2 ratios (1.75 kg of preservative to 3.50 kg of fruits) in each storage device. Shelf life was determined when more than 50% of fruits showed symptoms of shrinkage or spoilage (fruit rot). Proximate analysis was carried out for the amounts of moisture, ash, crude fibre, crude protein, crude lipid and carbohydrate in the stored fruits. Shelf life of all the varieties was enhanced by pot-in-pot refrigerator. Proximate analysis revealed that moisture was highest, followed by carbohydrate in all varieties irrespective of storage structure and preservative. The improved varieties showed higher values of all the proximate parameters when compared to the two local varieties (Hausa and Yoruba).Out of the storage structures, pot-inpot refrigerator seems to be more suitable to enhance shelf life of tomato fruits without compromising its quality.

Microorganisms associated with fermentation ofmasa wereLactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus fermentum andSaccharomyces cerevisiae. During the fermentation of maize grains, the temperature and moisture increased and the pH decreased. Most amino acids decreased in concentration during fermentation, with glutamic acid being the most abundant amino acid, but he protein content of the 'masa' increased during fermentation. The bacteria played the major role in the fermentation.

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