Browsing by Author "Owuna, Gabriel"

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    Bacteriuria and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Isolated From Urine of Asymptomatic University Students in Keffi, Nigeria
    (Department Of Microbiology, Faculty Of Natural And Applied Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2012-05-12) Ngwai, Y.B.; Iliyasu, Halima; Young, Elijah; Owuna, Gabriel
    Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria can develop into symptomatic urinary tract infection. Objectives: This study investigated asymptomatic Escherichia coli bacteriuria among undergraduate students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria, and the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from these subjects. Patients and Methods: Four hundred urine samples were collected from consenting healthy male and female students. The bacterial load of each sample was determined by spread plate count on nutrient agar. E. coli was isolated and antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates to common antibiotics was evaluated by the disc-diffusion method. Results: Of the urine samples, 80 (20%) showed significant bacteriuria, with a higher prevalence in females (25%) than in males (15%). While 60% of E. coli isolates from male samples were susceptible to pefloxacin or gentamicin, 3.3% were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Twenty-seven (90%) E. coli isolates from male samples had multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR), with 37% being resistant to 5 antibiotics and possessing MAR indices of 0.5. Forty-nine (98%) of the E. coli isolates from female samples had MAR, with 13 (26.5%) being resistant to 6 antimicrobial agents and possessing MAR indices of 0.6. Conclusions: Significant bacteriuria is observed among the students of Nasarawa State University, with a higher prevalence in females than in males. Pefloxacin, ofloxacin, and gentamicin are effective against E. coli isolates from the urine of these students.
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    Isolation, Identification and Screening for Nitrogen Fixing Activities by Azotobacter chroococcum Isolated from Soil of Keffi, Nigeria as Agent for Bio-fertilizer Production
    (Department of Microbiology, Nassarawa State University Keffi,, 2019-08-05) Obele, Ishaya Isa; Makut, M.D.; Akwashiki, Ombugadu; Owuna, Gabriel; Et el
    Free living nitrogen fixing bacteria are those that lives freely on rhizosphere of a young growing plant or those living in a close association with root of plants (Rhizobacteria) but not symbiotically. In most tropical soil, Nitrogen and other essential nutrients element are the most limiting nutrients which deficiencies could lead to slow growth and reduced crop production. Free living nitrogen fixing bacteria has the potential of secreting nitrogenase enzymes and produces organic acids such as glycolic, acetic, malic, succunic acids which fix atmospheric nitrogen directly into the soil for plants growth and development. To this end, the study on isolation, identification and screening of Azotobacter chroococcum from soil of Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria was carried out from May to September 2018. Soil samples were collected from eight different locations and Azotobacter strains were isolated and identified using standard microbiological methods. The 16SrRNA gene sequence analysis of the strain showed maximum similarity of 96% with Azotobacter chroococcum of the reference type strain deposited in RDP Gen Bank database. Azotobacter strains isolated from four different locations showed coloured zone ranging between 16-10mm. Similarly, Percentage amount of nitrogen released by each Azotobacter strain in the culture broth ranging between 1.19% - 5.11% in an increasing order.
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    OBUTANOL PRODUCTION FROM WASTE PAPERS USING CLOSTRIDIUM BISPECIES ISOLATED FROM SOIL ENVIRONMENT OF KEFFI METROPOLIS, NIGERIA
    (DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY FACULTY OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI NIGERIA, 2019-01-05) Owuna, Gabriel
    Biobutanol is an ecologically friendly alternative fuel that can be used in place of gasoline in car engines. The efficient utilization of waste papers into biobutanol by microbial processes is a worthwhile venture. This will eliminate the use of food crops such as maize for biofuel production. Biobutanol has similar physical and chemical properties with gasoline, and `can be used as fuel in car engines to serve the same purpose as gasoline. In addition to its use as a fuel, it has other uses such as the manufacture of printing inks, perfumes, fumigants, and moistening agents as well as plasticizers and pesticides. In this investigation, the soil environment of Keffi metropolis was screened for the presence of biobutanol-producing Clostridium species which were isolated using standard methods and identified using standard molecular techniques involving the use of 16S rRNA. The ability of the various isolates to produce biobutanol was determined using Lucas‟ Test while the quantitative determination of biobutanol produced by each isolate was carried out using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC & MS). The isolates were later subjected to Hank‟s buffer and UV light treatment for the possibility of obtaining high yield biobutanol in biobutanol-producing Clostridium species. The results obtained showed that the different species of Clostridium isolated from the study area included Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium cylindrosporum, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium celerecrescens. The investigation further revealed that Clostridium acetobutylicum (Ca2) produced the highest yields of 241,496.0±1.00μg/mL and 1,465,122.0±1.00μg/mL both before and after treatment of clostridial isolates with UV light/Hank‟s buffer followed by Clostridium perfringens (Cp1) with a yield of 326.0±1.41 μg/mL and 1,404,668.0±1.41 μg/mL both before and after treatment of clostridial isolates with UV light/Hank‟s buffer while Clostridium difficile (Cd2) had the lowest yield of 187.0±1.41 μg/mL and 2,127.0±1.41 μg/mL both before and after treatment of clostridial isolates with UV light/Hank‟s buffer. Furthermore, only Clostridium difficile (Cd2), Clostridium perfringens (Cp1) and Clostridium acetobutylicum (Ca2) produced biobutanol during GC & MS analysis of fermentation broth before treatment of clostridial isolates with UV light/Hank‟s buffer with the yields of 187.0±1.41 μg/mL, 326.0±1.41 μg/mL and 241,496.0±1.00 μg/mL respectively. Similarly, Clostridium difficile (Cd1), Clostridium botulinum (Cb1), Clostridium difficile (Cd2), Clostridium perfringens (Cp1), Clostridium difficile (Cd3), Clostridium acetobutylicum (Ca1), Clostridium celerecrescens (Cce1), Clostridium acetobutylicum (Ca2), and Clostridium cylindrosporum (Cc2) produced 241,496.0±1.41 μg/mL, 1,956.0±1.41 μg/mL, 2,127.0±1.41 μg/mL, 1,404,668.0±1.41 μg/mL, 191,130.0±1.00 μg/mL, 3,961.0±2.0 μg/mL, 535.0±1.24 μg/mL, 1,465,122.0±1.00 μg/mL and 152,685.0±1.00 μg/mL after treatment of clostridial isolates with UV light/Hank‟s buffer respectively. It was discovered that there was a statistically significant difference of the concentrations (μg/mL) between the Gas Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry (GC & MS) analysis before and after induced mutation as determined by one-way ANOVA (F = 3.0781; P-value = 0.3846). The yields of biobutanol produced were also found to be significant at a confidence level of 95%. This study therefore validates the alternate hypotheses that Clostridium species are present in the soil environment of Keffi metropolis. This study further demonstrated that paper wastes can be utilized as substrates for biobutanol production and the results of this study could be explored for the the management of wastes papers and other cellulose containing wastes for biobutanol production using species of Clostridium
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    Utilization of Some Agro-Wastes for Cultivation of Pluerotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom) in Keffi Nigeria
    (Department of Microbiology, Nassarawa State University Keffi,, 2019-07-15) Peter, Odonye Enoch; Galleh, Raphael Peter; Obele, Ishaya Isa; Owuna, Gabriel; Makut, M.D.
    Commercial crop production and many other agro-industrial activities generate large amount of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. This research is aimed at the utilization of some of these agro-wastes for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom) in Keffi area. The agro-wastes (cassava peels (CP), banana leaves (BL), saw dust (SD), yam peels (YP) and groundnut shells (GS) were collected, sorted, shredded, sterilized and inoculated with equal proportions of Pleurotus ostreatus (P. osreatus) for a period of four weeks. Rate of mycelia growth, temperature, mycological identification, nutritional contents of P. osreatus harvested and microbial isolation from the spent mushroom substrates were analyzed. The numbers of days for complete ramification of the substrates by mycelia of P. osreatus were; 18 days for BL and GS, 24 days for CP and YP while 30 days for SD. The room temperature within the period of exposure for fruiting of the ramified substrates ranges between 22°C to 28°C in the morning, 23°C to 30°C in the afternoon and 25°C to 31°C in the evening throughout the period of exposure. The nutritional contents of the Pleurotus ostreatus from the different substrates analysed were, Moisture content was highest in SD (87.05%) and lest in GS (80.71%), Protein content was highest in GS (38.13%) and lowest in BL (16.43%), Lipid content was highest in GS (4.62%) and lest in CP (1.83%), Carbohydrate content was highest in CP (78.40%) and lest in GS (71.66%), Fibre content was highest in BL (9.10%) and lest in YP (8.20%) while Ash content was highest in GS (7.37%) and lest in YP (6.42%). Five bacteria species (Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus roseus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and two yeast species (Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis) were isolated from the spent mushroom substrates.