MICROBIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CERTAIN FRUITS (PAWPAW, PINEAPPLE AND WATER MELON) SOLD IN OSISIOMA LGA OF ABIA STATE BY OSUAGWU ALLOYSISU OKECHUKWU HND/SLT/2015/71941 DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCE IMO STATE POLYTECHNIC UM
Abstract
ABSTRACT
It is a truism that ever}' fruits has a contextual role to play in a given scenario. Hence one can imagine the importance, health benefits as well as the medicinal value of fruits to human. History has it that fruits are generall) seen as an important natural staple food and are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins, fibres, antioxidants and enzymes. It was Hawkins who in his famous aphorism note that “Thinking is more important than history. but the readiest way to understand it is through its history”. Borrowing extensively from this therefore, we shall succinctly x-ray the tenets of fruits with regards to our discourse. Microbial characterization of fruits were carried out on pawpaw, pineapple and water melon sold in Osisioma LGA of Abia Stale. 3 different samples were analyzed to determine their microbial load, fhe bacteria and fungi identified were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli. Kiebsieia pneumonia. Salmonella spp. Penicil/ium. Aspergillus and Bacillus spp. I'he result obtained showed that viable count of the bacteria ranged from 1.7 xlO3 - 2.3 xlO' CFU/ml while the fungal count ranged from 1.7 x 10? - 2.4 x IO1 CFU/ml. This result indicated that the microbial load of these samples were low.
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