Aim: This present study was conducted to optimize mycological media using agro waste for the production of antimicrobial substance. Place and Duration of Study: Agro waste (sugarcane and sweet potato, sugarcane and jack fruit) collected within Anambra state between February- August 2019. Methodology: Sugarcane and sweet potato (AMSSP), sugarcane and jack fruit (AMSJ) were peeled and the peels were air-dried and then ground into powdered form. 10 g each of the agro waste samples was weighed into 400 ml of distilled water in 1000 ml Erlenmeyer flask and allowed for 7 days, after which the mixture was filtered. Then 200 ml of the filtrate was used. The experimental conditions were optimized by using agro wastes (20/80 and 50/50 concentrations) as a culture medium, altering the temperature (30ºC and 37ºC), pH (5, 6, 7, 8, and 9), as well as the carbon and nitrogen source (glucose and NaNO3). The fungi used were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fischeri, Aspergillus aculeatus and Aspergillus fumigatus. Results:  Various agro wastes medium AMSSP and AMSJ were formulated as mycological media and the growth and nutritional conditions were optimized to ascertain antimicrobial substance production using some fungal isolates. Based on different concentrations Aspergillus fumigatus showed a promising zone of inhibition on AMSSP at a concentration of 20/80 while in AMSJ the concentration the 50/50 showed a maximum zone of inhibition on Aspergillus fumigatus ascertaining the presence of antimicrobial substance. AMSSP was able to produce maximum antimicrobial substance when supplemented with 1.0% glucose, 1.0% NaNO3 at pH 7 and at temperature of 30 ± 2ºC. Conclusion: Agro wastes from AMSSP as well as from AMSJ contain nutrients that may support fungal growth. Maximum antimicrobial substance production is enhanced when supplemented with 1.0% of the carbon and nitrogen source at a pH of 7 and at a temperature of 30 ± 2ºC.

The report of pathogenic potentials of Cladosphialophora biatiana in humans, majorly among the farmers is now posing threat to the populace, and the need to search for a preventive measure from readily available, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and natural sources will be an ultimate success to be attained. This study was carried out to evaluate the prophylactic potential of essential cream produced from Chromolaena odorata leaves extract against Cladosphialophora biatiana dermatological infection. Soil samples were randomly collected from different farmlands and screened for the presence of Cladosphialophora biatiana using appropriate microbiological techniques. The pathological profile of the organism and prophylactic potential of essential cream were assessed by topically exposing them to albino Wistar rats for a period of one month. The study revealed the pathological features of the test isolates; alopecia, discoloration. Scaly, swelling, erythema, patches, macule and erosion were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 0.1% / 0% among those rats initially exposed to the studied essential cream. This study has shown that the studied essential cream protected the rats from Cladosphialophora biatiana infection and could be used as an alternative prophylactic measure to dermatological infection caused by the studied organism.

Several studies have shown that most condiments consumed in Nigeria today are fortified with chemicals that alter the nature and stripped the nutrients and natural immunological adjuvants designed by nature to protect the body system. Several condiments have been developed from fermented foods in order to control this ugly situation but there is still controversial thought on the nutritive and antinutrient effects of the condiment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritive and antinutrient values of the soybean condiments produced using indigenous fermenters. Soybean (Glycine max) sample was fermented with indigenous microorganisms isolated from 7 days old fermented soybean sample. This was oven-dried, pulverized and packaged in a cleaned sterile screw capped container. Gravimetric, spectrometric and titrimetric methods were employed for the nutritive and antinutrient parameters. Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZS 2058 (L), Bacillus subtilis strain 168 (B) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YJM555 (Y) were the indigenous microbes used singly and in consortium for the production of light to dark brown condiments with water activity ranging from 0.27 – 0.37 for the fermented soybean in the plate and 0.22 - 0.36 for the fermented soybean wrapped with Thaumatococcus danielli leaves (called Uma in Igbo and Ewe eran in Yoruba). The moisture, ash, fat, protein, crude fiber, carbohydrate and B-carotene contents ranges from 2.70 – 14.75 %, 0.03 – 4.10 %, 11.11 – 14.69 %, 48.22 – 53.77 %, 10.22 – 12.04%, 8.16 – 21.61 % and 6.92 – 8.14 % respectively. The isoflavone contents (0.096 -0.132 % w/w) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of normal soybean (0.068 %). The phytates, lectin, oxalates and tannins contents were significantly (0.01>P<0.05) reduced to minimum values of 0.01 mg/g, 0.02 mg/g, 0.02 g/100g and 0.08 mg/g respectively. Therefore condiments produced from fermentation of soybean using indigenous B, L, Y, BL and BLY are recommended as this would enhance its safety and nutritional quality, and those fermented in plastic plates using BLY were the most efficient, preferable and acceptable.

The roles of E. coli in cases of diseases has been established and reported to have a substantial degree of morbidity and mortality among children and adults. This study was carried out to investigate the sequential pathogenicity of sorbitol positive (SOR+) and sorbitol negative (SOR-) Escherichia coli isolated from roasted meat in Uli Community. A total of 10 roasted meat samples were randomly collected from four different points in Uli Community and screened for the presence of SOR+ and SOR-E. coli using the pour plate technique. The isolates obtained were characterized and identified using their colonial descriptions, morphological and biochemical characteristics. The pathogenic potentials of the isolates on chicks were investigated by challenging the chicks orally using 0.5 ml of the inoculum (108cells/ml). All chicks were kept under complete observation for 2 weeks for pathological signs and symptoms, mortalities and gross morphological lesions of the internal organs. The SOR+E. coli; T1 (21. 78%), T2 (18. 18%), T3 (26. 73%) and SOR-E. coli R1 (19. 80%), R2 (12. 87%) were seen in the studied samples, and R1 was mostly seen in the samples collected from the school front area. There were a significant (P<0.05) increase in organ weights, obvious pathological signs and lesions on the internal organs of the infected chicks, and these were seen most in SOR-E. coli. There were significant (P<0.05) viable plate counts of the isolates from the harvested organs, of which the counts of SOR-E. coli were recorded most. No count was recorded from non-infected chicks. It was observed that T3 was the most predominant from the studied samples when compared to T1, T3, R1 and R2. The test isolates showed reasonable pathogenic features among chicks and SOR-E. coli, mostly R1 proved to be most pathogenic among the tested isolates.