Sahel Journal of Life Sciences FUDMA, Dec 31, 2023
Polyethylene is the most commonly used synthetic plastic and poorly degraded in natural environme... more Polyethylene is the most commonly used synthetic plastic and poorly degraded in natural environments. This study was designed to evaluate biodegradation potentials of low-density polyethylene by fugal isolates from Station Market, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20cm using a sterilized hand towel and taken to microbiology laboratory, Kaduna State University. Fungi were isolated and each colony was repeatedly sub-cultured on freshly prepared SDA to obtain pure isolates. Pure separated single colonies were maintained on sterile slants at 4˚C for further investigation. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets were cut into bits and immersed in xylene and boiled for 15 minutes to dissolve and crushed. The LDPE powder was added to a mineral salt medium (MSM) containing salts in 1liter of distilled water after which the fungal isolates were introduced. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis were used to determine the changes in the polymer bond of LDPE sheet after the biodegradation. The findings shows that Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Brown rot and White rot fungi showed 21.1%, 16.1%, 17.6%, and 18.3% reductions in the polyethylene discs after incubation respective. Therefore, the study concludes that fungal species play a significant role in the degradation of LDPE and can be used in future studies for the degradation of complex plastic materials. Finally, the study recommends that Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus falvus be considered as potential candidates to degrade LDPE.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sach... more Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sachet drinking water was carried out with view to determine the bacterial load and fitness of the water sold in the study area for human consumption. Materials and Methods: Ten samples of different brands were aseptically collected and analyzed using heterotrophic count and most probable number technique. The isolated bacteria were microscopically and biochemically characterized and finally confirmed using Box™ Easygel® E. coli Quantitube™ Test Kit (Micrology Laboratories manufactures, Easygel®, USA) biotyping. Physicochemical analysis of the samples was done using standard methods. The isolated bacteria were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 1.0×102 to 3.0×102 cfu/ml, with MPN/100ml values ranged from <0.03 to 1.2. The temperature ranged from 8 to 18°C, at the pH range of 5.0...
Aims: A cross-sectional research study on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and listeriosis co-in... more Aims: A cross-sectional research study on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and listeriosis co-infection among patients attending Sickbay Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was carried out, with view to characterize, identify and to determine the antimicrobial sensitivity profile of Methodology: A total of 100 venous blood samples were collected from consenting patients presented to the study area suspected with hepatic disorders. The samples were centrifuged and the blood sera were obtained. The sera were qualitatively screened for HBsAg by immunochromatographic technique using rapid diagnostic device kit. Reactive sera for HBsAg were further confirmed by ELISA kits. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from the HBV seropositive samples by standard methods and identified using biochemical characterizations. Results: The results showed that the overall seroprevalence of hepatitis B was found to be 11 (11%) in the study area, with females and males accounting for 3 (8.6%) and 8 (12.3%) seroprevalences respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis B — listeriosis co-infection was found to be 4 (36.4%). A statistical relationship (p= .56) was found between hepatitis B— listeriosis co-infection and the age of the patients. There is no significant difference between the prevalence of Hepatitis B — Listeriosis co-infection and the gender. All sex has equal chance of contacting the disease. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of 11% HBsAg obtained in this study signifies high endemicity of HBV infection in the study area. There is presence of mixed infections of hepatitis B and listeriosis in the study area. The Listeria monocytogenes isolated from HBV seropositive patients was found to be highly sensitive to Penicillin (100%) and Ampicillin (100%) but resistant to Chloramphenicol (0%), Ofloxacin (0%) and Gentamicin (0%).
In this research, the utilisation of used transformer oil (UTO) as carbon feedstock for the produ... more In this research, the utilisation of used transformer oil (UTO) as carbon feedstock for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was targeted; with a view to reducing the environmental challenges associated with the disposal of the used oil and provision of an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic plastic. Acinetobacter sp. strain AAAID-1.5 is a PHA-producing bacterium recently isolated from a soil sample collected in Penang, Malaysia. The PHA-producing capability of this bacterium was assessed through laboratory experiments in a shake flask biosynthesis under controlled culture conditions. The effect of some biosynthesis factors on growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation was also investigated, the structural composition of the PHA produced by the organism was established, and the characteristics of the polymer were determined using standard analytical methods. The results indicated that the bacteria could effectively utilise UTO and produce PHA up to 34% of its ...
Metallothioneins are usually low molecular weight metal binding proteins which were first discove... more Metallothioneins are usually low molecular weight metal binding proteins which were first discovered in the late 1950's following an intensive study of yeast, mammals and plants. Among the four subfamilies or classes of plant metallothioneins, Type 4 plant metallothioneins (PMT's), metallothioneins 4 (MT4) or early cysteine as popularly known, stands out to be the most intensively studied group in vitro, perhaps this is attributed to their peculiar structure and function coupled with ease of isolation and purification when compared to other metallothioneins (MT's). In a recent study on barley (Hordeum vulgare) a member of this group revealed that MT4 genes of the plant show local zinc binding in the grain aleuronic layer and act in putative storage. However, structural information and understanding of metal binding dynamics of these MT's are scanty, with early cysteine metallothioneins (MT) from wheat as the only PMT with crystal 3D structure currently available. Thi...
Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2016
Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been developed and used in guiding systems&amp;amp;... more Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been developed and used in guiding systems&amp;amp;#39; metabolic engineering strategies for strain design and development. This strategy has been used in fermentative production of bio-based industrial chemicals and fuels from alternative carbon sources. However, computer-aided hypotheses building using established algorithms and software platforms for biological discovery can be integrated into the pipeline for strain design strategy to create superior strains of microorganisms for targeted biosynthetic goals. Here, I described an integrated workflow strategy using GEMs for strain design and biological discovery. Specific case studies of strain design and biological discovery using Escherichia coli genome-scale model are presented and discussed. The integrated workflow presented herein, when applied carefully would help guide future design strategies for high-performance microbial strains that have existing and forthcoming genome-scale metabolic models.
One of the major impediments to the commercialization of biodegradable plastic is the high cost o... more One of the major impediments to the commercialization of biodegradable plastic is the high cost of substrate. Consequently, there is a continuous search for effective microorganisms and cheaper carbon substrates to reduce the high production cost. In this study, waste transformer oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from soil, wastewater, and sediment samples, using a mineral salt medium (MSM) supplemented with 1% waste transformer oil as the sole carbon source. The isolates were screened for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production using Nile red staining and fluorescence microscopy. PHA granules accumulation was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Oil degradation analysis was accomplished using solvent extraction and gravimetric methods whereas, the bacteria were identified using 16S DNA sequence homology. A total of 62 transformer oil-degrading bacteria were isolated, out of which 16 (26%) showed positive results for Nile red fluorescence microscopy. The identified or...
International Journal of Pathogen Research, Mar 7, 2019
Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sach... more Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sachet drinking water was carried out with view to determine the bacterial load and fitness of the water sold in the study area for human consumption. Materials and Methods: Ten samples of different brands were aseptically collected and analyzed using heterotrophic count and most probable number technique. The isolated bacteria were microscopically and biochemically characterized and finally confirmed using Box™ Easygel® E. coli Quantitube™ Test Kit (Micrology Laboratories manufactures, Easygel®, USA) biotyping. Physicochemical analysis of the samples was done using standard methods. The isolated bacteria were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 1.0×10 2 to 3.0×10 2 cfu/ml, with MPN/100ml values ranged from <0.03 to 1.2. The temperature ranged from 8 to 18°C, at the pH range of 5.0 to 7.6. The findings showed that, high temperatures and pH was associated with high bacterial counts. There was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and the temperature (p= 0.454) of the analyzed sachet water. Also, there was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and pH (p= 0.446) of the sachet water. The bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp, Citrobacter freundii and Proteus vulgaris. Most 9 (90%) of the water analyzed fell within the statutory limits. While, the remaining 1 (10%) fell within the contamination level, which recorded high bacterial counts beyond the standard of safe drinking water set by water and food regulatory bodies. Conclusion: The isolation of E. coli and Salmonella sp. in sample brand "A" in this study is an indication that if not promptly checked, an outbreak could occur in the near future. All the isolates are susceptible to variety of antibiotics used, except Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp. and Citrobacter freundii which recorded resistance to amoxicillin, and Proteus vulgaris which recorded multidrug resistance.
Sahel Journal of Life Sciences FUDMA, Dec 31, 2023
Polyethylene is the most commonly used synthetic plastic and poorly degraded in natural environme... more Polyethylene is the most commonly used synthetic plastic and poorly degraded in natural environments. This study was designed to evaluate biodegradation potentials of low-density polyethylene by fugal isolates from Station Market, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20cm using a sterilized hand towel and taken to microbiology laboratory, Kaduna State University. Fungi were isolated and each colony was repeatedly sub-cultured on freshly prepared SDA to obtain pure isolates. Pure separated single colonies were maintained on sterile slants at 4˚C for further investigation. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets were cut into bits and immersed in xylene and boiled for 15 minutes to dissolve and crushed. The LDPE powder was added to a mineral salt medium (MSM) containing salts in 1liter of distilled water after which the fungal isolates were introduced. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis were used to determine the changes in the polymer bond of LDPE sheet after the biodegradation. The findings shows that Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Brown rot and White rot fungi showed 21.1%, 16.1%, 17.6%, and 18.3% reductions in the polyethylene discs after incubation respective. Therefore, the study concludes that fungal species play a significant role in the degradation of LDPE and can be used in future studies for the degradation of complex plastic materials. Finally, the study recommends that Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus falvus be considered as potential candidates to degrade LDPE.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sach... more Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sachet drinking water was carried out with view to determine the bacterial load and fitness of the water sold in the study area for human consumption. Materials and Methods: Ten samples of different brands were aseptically collected and analyzed using heterotrophic count and most probable number technique. The isolated bacteria were microscopically and biochemically characterized and finally confirmed using Box™ Easygel® E. coli Quantitube™ Test Kit (Micrology Laboratories manufactures, Easygel®, USA) biotyping. Physicochemical analysis of the samples was done using standard methods. The isolated bacteria were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 1.0×102 to 3.0×102 cfu/ml, with MPN/100ml values ranged from <0.03 to 1.2. The temperature ranged from 8 to 18°C, at the pH range of 5.0...
Aims: A cross-sectional research study on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and listeriosis co-in... more Aims: A cross-sectional research study on the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and listeriosis co-infection among patients attending Sickbay Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was carried out, with view to characterize, identify and to determine the antimicrobial sensitivity profile of Methodology: A total of 100 venous blood samples were collected from consenting patients presented to the study area suspected with hepatic disorders. The samples were centrifuged and the blood sera were obtained. The sera were qualitatively screened for HBsAg by immunochromatographic technique using rapid diagnostic device kit. Reactive sera for HBsAg were further confirmed by ELISA kits. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from the HBV seropositive samples by standard methods and identified using biochemical characterizations. Results: The results showed that the overall seroprevalence of hepatitis B was found to be 11 (11%) in the study area, with females and males accounting for 3 (8.6%) and 8 (12.3%) seroprevalences respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis B — listeriosis co-infection was found to be 4 (36.4%). A statistical relationship (p= .56) was found between hepatitis B— listeriosis co-infection and the age of the patients. There is no significant difference between the prevalence of Hepatitis B — Listeriosis co-infection and the gender. All sex has equal chance of contacting the disease. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of 11% HBsAg obtained in this study signifies high endemicity of HBV infection in the study area. There is presence of mixed infections of hepatitis B and listeriosis in the study area. The Listeria monocytogenes isolated from HBV seropositive patients was found to be highly sensitive to Penicillin (100%) and Ampicillin (100%) but resistant to Chloramphenicol (0%), Ofloxacin (0%) and Gentamicin (0%).
In this research, the utilisation of used transformer oil (UTO) as carbon feedstock for the produ... more In this research, the utilisation of used transformer oil (UTO) as carbon feedstock for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was targeted; with a view to reducing the environmental challenges associated with the disposal of the used oil and provision of an alternative to non-biodegradable synthetic plastic. Acinetobacter sp. strain AAAID-1.5 is a PHA-producing bacterium recently isolated from a soil sample collected in Penang, Malaysia. The PHA-producing capability of this bacterium was assessed through laboratory experiments in a shake flask biosynthesis under controlled culture conditions. The effect of some biosynthesis factors on growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation was also investigated, the structural composition of the PHA produced by the organism was established, and the characteristics of the polymer were determined using standard analytical methods. The results indicated that the bacteria could effectively utilise UTO and produce PHA up to 34% of its ...
Metallothioneins are usually low molecular weight metal binding proteins which were first discove... more Metallothioneins are usually low molecular weight metal binding proteins which were first discovered in the late 1950's following an intensive study of yeast, mammals and plants. Among the four subfamilies or classes of plant metallothioneins, Type 4 plant metallothioneins (PMT's), metallothioneins 4 (MT4) or early cysteine as popularly known, stands out to be the most intensively studied group in vitro, perhaps this is attributed to their peculiar structure and function coupled with ease of isolation and purification when compared to other metallothioneins (MT's). In a recent study on barley (Hordeum vulgare) a member of this group revealed that MT4 genes of the plant show local zinc binding in the grain aleuronic layer and act in putative storage. However, structural information and understanding of metal binding dynamics of these MT's are scanty, with early cysteine metallothioneins (MT) from wheat as the only PMT with crystal 3D structure currently available. Thi...
Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2016
Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been developed and used in guiding systems&amp;amp;... more Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been developed and used in guiding systems&amp;amp;#39; metabolic engineering strategies for strain design and development. This strategy has been used in fermentative production of bio-based industrial chemicals and fuels from alternative carbon sources. However, computer-aided hypotheses building using established algorithms and software platforms for biological discovery can be integrated into the pipeline for strain design strategy to create superior strains of microorganisms for targeted biosynthetic goals. Here, I described an integrated workflow strategy using GEMs for strain design and biological discovery. Specific case studies of strain design and biological discovery using Escherichia coli genome-scale model are presented and discussed. The integrated workflow presented herein, when applied carefully would help guide future design strategies for high-performance microbial strains that have existing and forthcoming genome-scale metabolic models.
One of the major impediments to the commercialization of biodegradable plastic is the high cost o... more One of the major impediments to the commercialization of biodegradable plastic is the high cost of substrate. Consequently, there is a continuous search for effective microorganisms and cheaper carbon substrates to reduce the high production cost. In this study, waste transformer oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from soil, wastewater, and sediment samples, using a mineral salt medium (MSM) supplemented with 1% waste transformer oil as the sole carbon source. The isolates were screened for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production using Nile red staining and fluorescence microscopy. PHA granules accumulation was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy. Oil degradation analysis was accomplished using solvent extraction and gravimetric methods whereas, the bacteria were identified using 16S DNA sequence homology. A total of 62 transformer oil-degrading bacteria were isolated, out of which 16 (26%) showed positive results for Nile red fluorescence microscopy. The identified or...
International Journal of Pathogen Research, Mar 7, 2019
Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sach... more Aims: Bacteriological quality assessment and antibiogram profile of bacteria associated with sachet drinking water was carried out with view to determine the bacterial load and fitness of the water sold in the study area for human consumption. Materials and Methods: Ten samples of different brands were aseptically collected and analyzed using heterotrophic count and most probable number technique. The isolated bacteria were microscopically and biochemically characterized and finally confirmed using Box™ Easygel® E. coli Quantitube™ Test Kit (Micrology Laboratories manufactures, Easygel®, USA) biotyping. Physicochemical analysis of the samples was done using standard methods. The isolated bacteria were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results: The total heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 1.0×10 2 to 3.0×10 2 cfu/ml, with MPN/100ml values ranged from <0.03 to 1.2. The temperature ranged from 8 to 18°C, at the pH range of 5.0 to 7.6. The findings showed that, high temperatures and pH was associated with high bacterial counts. There was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and the temperature (p= 0.454) of the analyzed sachet water. Also, there was no statistical relationship between microbial loads and pH (p= 0.446) of the sachet water. The bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp, Citrobacter freundii and Proteus vulgaris. Most 9 (90%) of the water analyzed fell within the statutory limits. While, the remaining 1 (10%) fell within the contamination level, which recorded high bacterial counts beyond the standard of safe drinking water set by water and food regulatory bodies. Conclusion: The isolation of E. coli and Salmonella sp. in sample brand "A" in this study is an indication that if not promptly checked, an outbreak could occur in the near future. All the isolates are susceptible to variety of antibiotics used, except Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella sp. and Citrobacter freundii which recorded resistance to amoxicillin, and Proteus vulgaris which recorded multidrug resistance.
Uploads
Papers by Shehu Idris