Wasa Alibe Ahmed
University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Title: Formulation of microbial growth medium using banana peel and maize cob
Biography
Biography: Wasa Alibe Ahmed
Abstract
This experiment was carried out with the aim of formulating growth media using organic waste materials (banana peel and maize cob) from the environment. Banana peel and maize cob were collected from different locations within Gombe main market from various banana and maize sellers. The collected materials were air dried, grinded into fine particles using mortar and pestle and then sieved with 0.8mm sieve size. Bacteria isolates (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella sp, Salmonella spp, Klebsiella sp and Pseudomonas aureginosa) were collected from Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe and confirmed using relevant biochemical tests and the fungi isolates were isolated from spoilt bread and orange using potato dextrose agar (PDA) and the formulated media. Proximate analysis carried out, show that the banana peel contained 18.56% moisture, 3.05% Ash, 7.20% Fat, 16.54% Protein, 15.42% crude fibre and 45.23% Carbohydrate, while the corresponding values for maize cobis 10.14% moisture, 2.86% Ash, 2.20% Fat, 14.18% Protein, 13.26% Crude fibre and 59.36% Carbohydrate. The bacterial isolates were sub-cultured onto commercially prepared nutrient agar medium and the formulated banana peel and maize cob media. The colonial characteristics of both the commercially prepared agar and the formulated media were compared for each isolate. Total bacterial count was carried out and the result showed 2.50x104, 2.12x104 and 1.95x104 on nutrient agar, 1.50x104, 1.10x104 and 1.20x104 on banana peel agar and1.85x104, 1.40x104 and 1.70x104 on maize cob agar for E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Shigella sp respectively. Visible growth 0.67x104 of Salmonellawas observed on maize cob only, whileno visible growth for Klepsiella spp. and Pseudomonas aeureginosa was observed on both the banana peel and maize cob agar. Fungi were also isolated from spoilt bread and orange using commercially prepared potato dextrose and the formulated banana peel and maize cob media. Three fungi were isolated and identified; the cultural characteristics of each fungus on each medium were compared. The fungi isolated and identified with their total plate count were as follows: Aspergillus niger (3.0x104, 5.0x104 on banana peel and potato dextrose agar respectively with no visible growthobserved on maize cob agar), Rhizopus stolonofer (4.0x104, 2.2x104, 4.7x104 on banana peel, maize cob and potato dextrose agar respectively) and Saccharomycse cerivisiae (2.9x104, 1.5x104 and 3.6x104 on banana peel, maize cob and potato dextrose agar respectively). From these results, it can be proposed that banana peel agar could be used as an enrichment medium for the growth of fungi, while maize cob agar could be more useful inbacterial growth medium.