Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

Abstract: A hydroponic trial was carried out to assess the effect of inoculating tomato plants with AM fungi, in the presence and absence of a mycorrrhizal stimulant (Mycotech). Four treatments were applied: (1) AM inoculant, (2) mycorrhizal stimulant, (3) AM + Stimulant and (4) Stimulant alone. Arbuscular mycorrhizal treated plants were 14% root colonized, whilst AM + Stimulant treated plants, were 25% colonized. No colonization was observed in non -AM and non-AM + Stimulant treated plants. However, AM + Stimulant treated p…

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to study the catabolic product(s) of p-coumaric acid by a white rot fungus, Schizophyllum commune. TLC and HPLC chromatogram showed that p-hydroxybenzoic acid was formed as a major degradation product of p-coumaric acid. The purity of p-hydroxybenzoic acid was further confirmed by mass spectrometry. A maximum amount 2.5 mg/l of p-hydroxybenzoic acid was detected in the culture medium on 12th day of incubation using 5.0 mM p-coumaric acid as sole source of carbon. It was assumed that during…

Abstract: The effect of particulate materials on lactic fermentation of cassava using both spontaneous and starter culture - Lactobacillus plantarum was investigated. The mean value counts during spontaneous fermentation, the total dissolved loads in all the samples, the total reducing sugars of all samples, the microbial loads in all the samples, the contents of crude protein, crude fibre, ash contents, ether extract, phytic acid and tannin were determined. All samples had an increase in lactic acid bacteria counts through…

Abstract: The essential oil was extracted by Soxhlet method with anhydrous diethyl ether from Ailanthus altissima Swingle (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae) bark, a traditional Chinese herbal plant and its repellent, contact and fumigant activities were investigated against four major stored grain insects. A. altissima bark oil significantly repelled Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Silvanidae), Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Li…

Abstract: An efficacy of a compound for antimicrobial characteristics is typically evaluated through experiments to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Similarly, a minimum activating concentration (MAC) can be obtained for a compound necessary for growth. We report a protocol for the determination of MIC and MAC for antibiotic and exhibition assays, respectively using methylene blue reduction test. The assay has been demonstrated on the growth of Escherichia coli on the antibiotic kanamycin, as an inhibitor…

Abstract: The existence of bacteriophages in wastewater of Soba Stabilisation Station was determined by isolating and identifying methods for their activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds. The general viable count of the bacteria showed an average of 2.0 x 106 cfu/ml. In broth media the affection of the bacteriophage interactions with bacteria showed increasing of bacteriophages with concomitant decrease in bacteria due to culture clearance…

Abstract: Continuous increase in the sale and indiscriminate consumption of packaged drinking waters in Nigeria is of public health significance. One hundred and eight samples comprising 16 bottled and 20 sachet water brands purchased randomly all over Ibadan and Ile-Ife cities in South Western Nigeria were analysed for presence of bacterial indicators of water quality. Total heterotrophic bacteria plate counts (HPC) ranged from 2 to 150 for bottled water and 5 to 200 for sachet water brands. One brand of bottled water and e…

Abstract: The present investigation has been undertaken selecting a protein rich blue green alga Spirulina platensis in relation to change in functional properties of its proteins on chemical treatment with succinic anhydride, acetic anhydride and formaldehyde for succinylation, acetylation and methylation respectively. Modified proteins have been studied for their functional properties such as protein solubility, foaming properties; emulsification properties and viscosity. Protein solubility in unmodified water soluble Spir…

Abstract: Typhoid fever continues to remain a health problem as the causative organism Salmonella typhi has developed resistance to many of the antibiotics used. This study was undertaken to determine the current pattern of resistance to antimicrobial agents of S. typhi isolates obtained in a tertiary Health care Hospital. 309 samples were taken. Sensitivity to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone was determined by disc diffusion, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determi…

Abstract: The effects of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 polymorphism were examined on milk production traits and genetic trends in the Iranian Holstein bulls. A total of 282 bulls were genotyped for SnaBI restriction site in the 5' flanking region of IGF-1 by applying PCR-RFLP method. The allele frequencies for C and T alleles were 0.562 and 0.438, respectively. The results indicated that genetic variants at the 5'-noncoding region of the bovine IGF-1 gene had a marked effect on estimated breeding values of milk (EBVM) and fat…

Abstract: The ability of five bacterial isolates (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella Sp., Escherichia coli, Bacillus Sp. and Corynebacterium) isolated from Brinjal cultivated field to degrade cypermethrin was studied. It was confirmed that these isolated organisms were able to utilize and degrade cypermethrin. In this five different bacterial colonies, P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella Sp., E. coli were found active in utilizing cypermethrin (1%) where as Bacillus Sp. and Corynebacterium were moderately active in utilizing cypermeth…

Abstract: Anona muricata commonly known as sour-sop, belong to the family Annonaceae. It is a small slender tropical tree usually grown for its large fleshy and juicy fruits. The fruit of A. muricata plays an important role in the diet of many in many parts of the tropics including Nigerian. Unfortunately, the usefulness of the fruits of Anona is decimated by many fungi species. Investigation of the fungi that cause the deterioration of sour-sop (Anona muricata) was carried out in order to recommend the appropriate control m…

Abstract: Yoghurt consumption has been increasing since 1980 decade due to the search for healthy foods by consumers, including Brazil. In order to evaluate the quality of the yoghurt commercialized in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 36 samples were collected from markets and analyzed for coliforms (total and thermotolerant) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) enumeration and pH, considering different times for expiration. Coliforms were not detected at levels higher than 0.3 MPN/g, and only 7 (19.4%) samples showed LAB counts lowe…

Abstract: Septicaemia is a common condition in children with a resultant high morbidity and mortality. The gold standard for diagnosis of septicemia is the isolation of bacteria agents from blood cultures. To determine the common etiology of septicemia in children and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, a retrospective study with a review of blood culture reports of paediatric patients aged 0 - 15 years, suspected of septicemia, from October 2006 to October 2008 in the Medical Microbiology department of Aminu Kano Teach…

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence rate and antibiotic resistant pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). A prospective study was conducted at Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan and Microbiology Research Laboratory, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan during the period from December 2007 to August 2008. The antibiotic resistance pattern was studied for MRSA and MRSE isolated from nasal samples from pa…