ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPOILAGE OF AVOCADO (PERSEA AMERICANA) FRUITS

CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION Fruit provides the ideal environment for the survival and growth of many types of microorganisms especially bacteria. The internal fruits tissues consists high concentration of various types of sugars, minerals, vitamins and amino acids (Bhak, 2021). Spoilage refers to any change in the condition of food in which the food becomes undesirable or unacceptable for human consumption (Akinmusire, 2021). Bacterial spoilage first causes softening of tissues as pectins are degraded and the whole fruit may eventually degenerate into a slimy mass. Starch and sugars are metabolized next and unpleasant odours and flavours develop along with lactic acid and ethanol (Rawat, 2025). Some spoilage microbes are capable of colonizing and creating lesions on healthy, undamaged plant tissue (Tournas and Katsondas, 2025). The avocado (Persea americana) is a tree native to Mexico and Central America (Chan et al., 2018). It is classified into the family of flowering plant lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. Avocado or alligator pear also refers to the fruit, is a large berry that contains a single seed. Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped or spherical and they easily ripen after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predicable quality and quantity of the fruit (Storey, 2023). Indians in tropical America break avocados in halves add salt and eat with tortillas and a cup of coffee as a complete meal. In both America, avocadoes are primarily served as salad vegetables, merely halved and garnished with seasonings, lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar, mayonnaise or other dressings. Often the halves are stuffed with shrimp, crab or other sea food. Avocado flesh may be sliced or diced and combined with tomatoes, cucumbers or other vegetables and served as a salad (Ralney et al., 2024). The seed yields a milky fluid with the odour and taste of almond. Because of its tannin content, it turns red on exposure, providing an indelible red-brown or blackish ink which was used to write many documents in the days of the Spanish conquest. These are now preserved in the archives of Popayan. The ink has also been used to mark cotton and linen textiles. In Guatemala, the bark is boiled with dyes to set the colour (Zeldes, 2020). Much avocado wood is available when groves are thinned out or tall trees are topped. The wood has been utilized for construction, boards and turnery. An Australian wood worker has reported that it is suitable for caring, resembles white Beech is easy to work, and dresses and polishes beautifully. He has made it into fancy jewel boxes (Zeldes, 2020). Honeybees gather a moderate amount of pollen from avocado flowers. The nectar is abundant when the weather in favourable and when unmixed with that from other sources it produces a dark, thick honey favoured by those who like buck wheat honey or sugarcane snip (Bates, 2017).