Evaluation OfProsopis Africana Seed Hydrolysates As Source Of Peptone For Microbial Culture Media

Abstract

Microbiological growth media developed from legumes as sources of protein hydrolysates was studied. This study was aimed at producing protein hydrolysates from Prosopis africana seed that could be used as a substitute to animal peptone for microbial culture. Prosopis africana seeds (2.5 kg) were obtained from a local market andselected seeds were washed with distilled water and boiled until the seed coats became soft. The softened seed coats were peeled off to obtain cotyledons which were washed, dried and powdered. The powdered cotyledon was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using papain, or acid hydrolysis using hydrochloric acid. Amino acid analysis was done using HPLC. Metal ion and vitamin contents of the hydrolysates were determined using standard methods. Growth patterns of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillusniger in the media formulated using the seed hydrolysates were monitored. Microbial growth patterns in the hydrolysates were compared with commercial samples. The analyses revealed that papain-hydrolysed Prosopis africana seed (PHP) ranked highest in terms of microbial growth support when compared with acid-hydrolysed Prosopis africana seed (AHP) and commercial peptone (CP). All the test organisms thrived well in media made with the hydrolysates, in comparison with commercially available media.