Isolation and identification of bacteria associated with fermentation of melon seed for Ogiri Sold in Owerri, Nigeria

In order to ascertain the public health implication of the consumption of the fermented melon (Cucumismelo), known as Ogiri, consumed in all South Eastern Nigeria and beyond as a food condiment, thirty samples of locally fermented melon seeds, Ogiri, were randomly purchased from three markets in Owerri metropolis in Imo State. These samples were microbiologically analysed using pour plate technique on nutrient agar, MacConkey and Salmonella Shigella agar at 370C for 24 hours. The viable and mean counts were determined and the data obtained were statistically analyzed. There was no significant difference between the contamination of the samples (p>0.05). These organisms, following the order of predominance were isolated; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of these microorganisms of public health importance in food condiments pose a risk of enteritis and other food borne diseases in some individuals after its intake. Thus, the health organizations should embark on public and personal enlightenment programs targeted at both the producer and the consumer.

Effect of Different Fermentation Time on the Microbial, Mineral and Proximate Composition of Parkia biglobosa Seeds Fermented for Iru Production

Fermented food condiments form an integral part of African diets as they supply nutrients with claimed medicinal properties. This research was designed to investigate the effect of period of fermentation on the microbial, mineral and proximate composition of fermented Parkia biglobosa seeds. The bacteriological, nutritional and sensory parameters were carried out on the raw, dehulled and fermented seeds. The result of the total bacterial counts showed that the raw seed had 3.67 log10cfu, there was a significant increase in the total bacteria count from 2.20 log10cfu/g in dehulled unfermented bean to 9.248 log10cfu/g at 96 hr of fermentation. The bacteria isolated were Bacillus subtilis (32 isolates), Lactobacillus plantarum (9 isolates), and Leuconostoc spp (3 isolates). The pH increased significantly from 4.57 in the raw seeds to 8.40 at 96 hr of fermentation. The titratable acidity decreased from 0.179N in the raw seeds until it got to 0.0313N at 96hr of fermentation. The proximate composition on dry mass basis showed that ‘iru’ fermented for 48hr had the highest protein content of 41.023%. The carbohydrate decreased from 42.153% in the raw seed to 20.733% at the end of fermentation. Four of the minerals; lead, cadmium, cobalt and nickel were detected in the raw seeds but were no longer available after dehulling. Phosphorus, sodium, calcium and potassium increased during the fermentation period. The sensory result showed that the intensity of growth on the surface of the fermenting bean increased. Moreover, the sensory score on the texture showed that the seed became softer as the fermentation progressed. The colour became darker and the ammonia odour became more pungent. The overall-liking showed a significant increase as the fermentation progressed where the panelist preferred the product fermented for 72hr. The result from this study revealed that the best time for fermentation of Parkia biglobosa seeds to produce good quality iru was between 48hr and 72hr.

Atividade Antioxidante, Conteúdo de Fenólicos Totais, Carotenoides e Provitamina A em Extratos Vegetais do Cerrado Goiano

Diferentes grupos vegetais encontrados no bioma Cerrado vêm sendo amplamente estudados quanto as suas possíveis características químicas, apresentando dentre essas biocompostos de interesse para a indústria de alimentos, como na produção de barras de cereais nutritivas e em condimentos alimentares capazes de inibir ações de radicais livres causadores de patologias. No entanto, ainda pouco se sabe sobre a grande variedade destes compostos bioativos, que compõem as características químicas das espécies rasteiras, arbustivas e arbóreas, que coabitam nas mais diversas variantes deste bioma. A descoberta dos efeitos deletérios dos radicais livres sobre as células, agindo como causadores de doenças, impulsionando a busca por novos compostos bioativos na área de alimentos, que a cada ano cresce com a produção de novos produtos alimentícios, com características mais saudáveis, permitindo a prevenção e minimizando os danos oxidativos sobre as células. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade antioxidante pela captura do radical DPPH, conteúdos de fenólicos totais pelo reagente de Folin-Ciocalteau, carotenoides, provitamina A em equivalente de Retinol por métodos espectrofotométricos UV-Vis dos extratos etanólicos foliares das espécies botânicas: Byrsonima coccolobifolia (Kunth.), Dimorphandra mollis (Benth.), Hymenaea stignocarpa (Mart. ex Hayne), Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil.) e Cardiopetalum calophyllum (Schlecht.). Os resultados demonstraram a presença de atividade antioxidante pelo método de sequestro do radical DPPH, expressivos conteúdos de fenólicos totais, teores de β-caroteno, presença de licopeno, exceto nas espécies Dimorphandra mollis e Hymenaea stignocarpa, presença de baixos teores de provitamina A.Palavras-chave: Folhas. DPPH. Licopeno.AbstractDifferent vegetable groups found in the Cerrado biome have been widely studied as to their possible chemical characteristics, presenting among them biocomposites of interest for the food industry, as in the production of nutritious cereal bars and in food condiments capable of inhibiting actions of free radicals causing pathologies. But little is known about the great variety of these bioactive compounds that make up the chemical characteristics of the shrub, shrub and tree species that cohabit in the most diverse variants of this biome. The discovery of the deleterious effects of free radicals on cells, acting as cause of disease, driving the search for new bioactive compounds in the area of food that grows every year with the production of new food products with healthier characteristics allowing prevention and minimizing the oxidative damage on cells. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity by capturing DPPH radical, total phenolic contents by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, carotenoids, provitamin A in Retinol equivalent by UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods of the foliar ethanolic extracts of botanical species: Byrsonima Coccolobifolia (Kunth.), Dimorphandra mollis (Benth.), Hymenaea stignocarpa (Mart. ex Hayne), Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil.) and Cardiopetalum calophyllum (Schlecht.). The results showed the presence of antioxidant activity by the DPPH radical sequestration method, expressive total phenolic content, β-carotene content, lycopene content, except for Dimorphandra mollis and Hymenaea stignocarpa species, with low levels of provitamin A.Keywords: Sheets. DPPH. Lycopene.