In this study, we explored the possibility of utilizing the succulent pulp of Spondias mombin (SM) as feedstock for the synthesis of biosurfactants by Pseudomonas spp. The cultures were composed of basic mineral medium amended with SM, SM + glucose, glucose (GLC), and nutrient broth (NB) as carbon sources. Biosurfactant production was determined by surface-active properties such as hemolysis, emulsification index (E 24 ), drop collapse, oil-spreading assays, and reduction of surface tension. The stability of the biosurfactants was monitored across different temperature and pH regimes while chemical components of the extracted biosurfactants were determined by thin-layer chromatography. Biosurfactants synthesized from SM as sole substrate showed the highest emulsification index (56.35%), oil-spreading capacity (4.4 ± 1.31 cm), hemolysis (3.10 ± 0.02 cm), the shortest time for drop collapse (30 s), and surface tension reduction (24 mN/m). Biosurfactant concentrations ranged from 0.07 ± 0.01 in the NB to 2.08 ± 0.01 g/L in the media amended with SM. Chemical characterization revealed significant concentrations of carbohydrates and lipids in the biosurfactant produced from SM (1.2 ± 0.17 and 0.88 ± 0.04 g/L, respectively) when compared to SM + glucose (0.92 ± 0.05, and 0.62 ± 0.02 g/L, respectively), glucose (0.35 ± 0.04 and 0.13 ± 0.02 g/L, respectively), and nutrient broth (0.06 ± 0.03 and 0.01 ± 0.01 g/L, respectively). The biosurfactants were stable over a wide range of temperature while E 24 increased with pH. Our results show the viability of SM fruit pulp as low-cost feedstock for industrialscale production of biosurfactants using Pseudomonas spp.
The glycaemic indices (GI) of food paste made from wheat, corn, yam, flours and garri in apparently healthy rats using glucose as standard control and water as normal control were determined through Laboratory-experimental design. This was achieved based on the effect of these different selected carbohydrate diets on postprandial glycaemia of the animal model which resulted on variable glucose response. The proximate analysis of the processed diet from wheat, corn and yam showed higher fat and protein contents than that of gari diet. Also, yam diet showed the lowest carbohydrate. The fibre content was shown to be higher in gari with the lowest in yam containing diet. Each of these selected carbohydrate diets contained 56.85% starch. A total of eighteen (18) adult male wistar rats divided into six groups which consisted of three rats each were used in the course of this study. Animals were starved throughout the night for twelve (12) hours and their blood glucose level tested at time zero, before the test food containing 2 grammes of carbohydrate per kilogramme body weight were cautiously administered. After a time interval of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes, the blood glucose was determined. α-amylase digestibility of the yam, corn, and wheat diets were higher than that of garri diet. The glycaemic index of yam diet (73.8%) was the highest, followed by that of corn diet (70.4%), wheat diet (70.2%) and garri (61.5%). The glycaemic indices of all the rat diets were less than that of the glucose standard (100%). Comparatively, the glycaemic indices of yam, wheat and corn diets did not differ significantly (p>0.05), while that of garri was significantly (p<0.05) lower.
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