No abstract

Wine, an alcoholic beverage is usually produced from juice of variety of fruits by the fermentative action of microorganisms particularly by yeasts. Several substrates such as pineapple, banana, watermelon, pawpaw and other fruits have been used to produce wine using Saccharomyces species. This study was undertaken using non- Saccharomyces to produce table wine with pineapple and banana fruits as substrates. Standard microbiological procedures were employed for yeasts cell isolation, sugar (sucrose) fermentation test, pH, ethanol, sucrose and glucose tolerance test were carried out respectively. Alcohol production by the yeasts was screened and the isolates were identified by genomic techniques. Twenty-two (22) yeasts isolated from palm wine (YW), banana (YB) and pineapple (YP) were screened for their ability to ferment sugar and fourteen (14) of the yeast isolates were positive while eight (8) were negative. The fourteen (14) isolates were further screened for their ability to tolerate pH, ethanol, sucrose and glucose. Tolerance tests for these fourteen (14) yeast isolates recorded values between a range of 3.0-5.0, 0-10% v/v, 5-20% w/v and 5-25% w/v for pH, ethanol, sucrose and glucose concentrations respectively. Statistically, there was a significant difference in the interaction effect for pH, ethanol, sucrose and glucose tolerance (OD600 nm) for yeast isolates at p value ≤ 0.0001. Five (5) yeast isolates had high tolerance ability to pH, ethanol, sucrose and glucose and were further screened for their ability to produce alcohol. The five (5) yeast isolates were identified as Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain 1621, Pichia guilliermondii strain PX-PAT, Meyerozyma caribbica strain Kw 1S7Y2, Meyerozyma caribbica strain Y-27400, Kodamaea ohmeri strain ww1-1 and they produced alcohol content of 7.6%, 6.5%, 2.9%, 2.5% and 0.3% respectively. Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain 1621 and Pichia guilliermondii strain PX-PAT 18 S isolated from palm wine exhibited good characteristics and produced high quantity of alcohol and are suitable for alcohol fermentation of substrates for wine production.

The potential of fungi as bio degraders of micro plastic particles was assessed using standard microbiological and Fourier transformed Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis methods. The highest mean Total Heterotrophic fungal (THF) count of 4.24x104 cfu/ml was obtained with the least THF (2.72x104 cfu/ml) recorded during the dry season. Mean hydrocarbon Utilizing Fungal (HUF) count was highest (1.78x104 cfu/ml) during the wet period while the least HUF count (1.46x104 cfu/ml) was recorded during the dry period. Spectra of FTIR showed that the water contained microplastic particles in these proportions; polyethylene of low density (LDPE) 0.01%, 0.11% protein, 0.15% polystyrene, 0.37% polyamide, 1.14% cellulose, 1.21% polyurethane, 1.90% polyvinyl chloride, 3.11% polyester and 92% polypropylene, respectively. Species of fungi identified were Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Aspergillus nidulans, Fusarium spp., Microsporum canis, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Among the fungal isolates, A. niger and A. fumigatus were most active in degrading the micro plastic (polypropylene) with mean % weight loss of 71.09% and 53.09%, respectively while the least active was Penicillium spp. with a mean % weight loss of 28.64% during the study period. The order of degradation was Aspergillus niger > A. fumigatus > A. nidulans > Fusarium spp. > Rhizopus spp. > Microsporum canis > Mucor spp. > Penicillium spp. The potential to degrade micro plastic particles by these fungi can be harnessed. The foremost active fungi degrading potentials are as follows: A. niger (71.1%) and A. fumigatus (53.1%). The study has shown that isolates of fungi from Ohiakwu River in Nigeria possess the ability to degrade micro plastic (polypropylene) particles. Therefore, this research is of tremendous importance for industrial development and additionally for future research purposes.

Aim: Bacterial biofilm formation is a menacing attribute that has been linked to a rise in antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to isolate biofilm-producing bacteria from stool samples and their antibiogram. Study Design: The study involved laboratory research, statistical analysis and interpretation of the data. Place and Duration of Study: The research was carried out in three (3) hospital facilities. They are University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Meridian Hospital D/line branch (MRD1), and Meridian Hospital Ikoku branch (MDR2). Specimens were gathered within three (3) months, and analyses were performed. Methodology: 45 stool specimens were collected from the three (3) hospitals. The specimens were correctly labelled with the sampling date and time. Standard microbiological procedures were performed on the collected specimens, including plate counts, identification, biofilm screening, sensitivity testing, extended spectrum beta lactamase phenotypic screening, and molecular characterization of the isolates. Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranged from 6.2 to 8.2 x107 cfu/g, total coliform counts ranged from 3.2 to 4.1 x106 cfu/g and faecal coliform counts ranged from 1.3 to 1.4 x105 cfu/g. There was no significant difference at (p≤0.05) in the total heterotrophic bacterial counts, total and faecal coliform counts between the hospitals sampled. A total of Thirty-two (32) bacterial isolates were identified in stool specimens, with 20 (62.5%) of them being biofilm producers. Staphylococcus 30%, 35% Escherichia coli, 25% Enterococcus and 10% Bacillus species were detected among biofilm bacteria. Biofilm isolates showed a variety of susceptibility patterns and antibiotic resistance was found in biofilm bacteria. Most bacterial intestinal tract infections from patients and hospitals investigated can be treated with ofloxacin, Gentamycin, Imipenem, and Nitrofurantoin. TET A and CTX-M genes, were reported in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli biofilm bacteria as possible genes that could confer antibiotic resistance.The existence of the icaD and papC genes in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli has been discovered to be probable determinants that impart biofilm forming abilities, according to genomic studies. Conclusion: The existence of biofilm-producing bacteria in patients’ stools, as well as their antibiotic resistance, was observed in this study. Ceftazidime (third generation cephalosporin) resistance was found in both biofilm and non-biofilm bacteria. This research reveals that ofloxacin, Gentamycin, Imipenem, and Nitrofurantoin are the drugs of choice for bacterial intestinal tract infections caused by Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus species. As a result, proper infection control techniques and therapeutic recommendations for proven infections should be swiftly implemented.

Aim: To determine the bacterial and physicochemical analysis of topsoil from an electronic waste (e-waste) dumpsite within Port Harcourt metropolis using standard procedures. Place and Duration of Study: The study area was Kaduna street, beside Fruit and Vegetable Garden Market, Mile l which is located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The coordinates are 4o47’57.5” N 7o00’02.7” E. The duration of study was between March and September, 2019. Methodology: The waste disposed were mainly television sets, computer monitors, radio sets, stoves, laptops and central processing units. Soil samples were cleared off top debris, collected within 5cm of the top soil from four (4) different points of the dumpsite and a control was collected from area devoid of waste disposal, 20m away from the dumpsite. The five samples were kept in clean sterile polythene bags. Contamination observed from soil samples was attributed to the waste disposal. The total heterotrophic bacterial count was performed using l gram of soil from e-waste dumpsite in a 9-fold serial dilution using a spread plate method, in duplicates on dried nutrient agar plates and incubated at 30°C for 24hours. Centrimide agar plates were used to obtain Pseudomonas isolates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours while MacConkey agar plates were used to isolate coliform bacteria, incubated at 0c for 48 hours. The physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. Results: Seven (7) bacterial genera were isolated from the topsoil of the e-waste dumpsite and they were Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Kluyvera, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Chromobacterium and Pectobacteria species. Staphylococcus spp. had the highest percentage composition of 42.3% and Kluyvera spp, the lowest percentage composition of l.9% of bacterial isolates found in the topsoil of the electronic waste dumpsite. The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from l.30 x l06 to l.97 x l06 cfu/g, total coliform count was 3.05 x l03 to 7.98 x l03 cfu/g and total Pseudomonas count ranged from l.00 x l02   to 2.88 x l03 cfu/g with a significant difference at .05 probability level to the control samples. The temperature ranged from 27.67±0.580C to 28.00±l.000C with a control of 29.00±l.000C, pH value ranged from 6.33±0.58 with a control of 7.00±0.00. The pH values were lower than the control indicating that the soil was slightly acidic to neutral. Moisture content had 4% with a control of 2.7%, an organic matter of l7.33±0.58 with a control of 4.47±0.58. Conclusion: The presence of the isolated organisms could cause public health risk or environmental hazard. Proper education and legislations on handling of e-waste in the society should be intensified to forestall waste related problems along the food chain.