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Microbial and physiochemical quality of post harvest apples (Malus domestica Borkh) influenced by storage condition

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Omorodion N. J. P., Okafor I. R.

World News of Natural Sciences

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2024

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vol. 57

146-160

EN

This study assess the microbial and physiochemical quality of post-harvested apples (Malus domestica) under varying storage conditions, specifically ambient temperature and refrigeration temperature. Microbial analyses revealed distinct trends in bacterial and fungal counts. Standard microbiological and physiochemical techniques were adopted. For refrigerated apples, the total heterotrophic bacteria count peaked on Day 15 (1.8×105 CFU/g), contrasting with the lowest count on Day 3 (3.6×103 CFU/g). Similarly, ambient temperature of storage exhibited highest aerobic bacteria growth on Day 15 (3.3×104 CFU/g) and lowest on Day 2 (5.0×103 CFU/g). Staphylococcus counts in refrigerated apples peaked on Day 3 (3.6×103 CFU/g) and ambient temperature storage on Day 15 (7.4×103 CFU/g). The study identified seven bacterial genera, including Staphylococcus (19.6%), Bacillus (21.6%), and Proteus (17.6%) being prominent. Others were; 11.8% Micrococcus; 21.6% , Corynebacterium,; 13.7% Pseudomonas and 5.9% Citrobacter. Physiochemical attributes exhibited temperature-dependent variations. pH levels in refrigerated apples were lowest on Day 15 (2.88) and highest on Day 12 (3.80), whereas ambient temperature storage showed the highest pH (3.59) on Day 0 and lowest on Day 12 (3.42). Moisture content ranged from 80.2% (Day 3) to 87.8% (Day 15) for refrigerated apples, and from 85.7% (Day 1) to 87.8% (Day 15) for ambient temperature storage. Specific gravity decreased from 0.64 (Day 0) to 0.51 (Day 15) for refrigerated apples and from 0.64 (Day 0) to 0.59 (Day 15) for ambient temperature storage. Total suspended solids (TSS) fluctuated from 17.86% (Day 0) to 12.01% (Day 15) for ambient temperature and 12.54% (Day 15) for refrigerated temperature. The study recommends implementing optimized refrigeration protocols, considering the observed microbial growth patterns, could enhance the preservation of apples. While emphasizing stringent hygiene practices within storage facilities to be crucial, regular cleaning and disinfection routines even in refrigerators is a necessity.

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Investigating the Microbial Safety and Physiochemical Quality of Local vs. Foreign Tomato Pastes: A Study in Rivers State, Nigeria

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Omorodion N. J. P., Ajie O. F.

World News of Natural Sciences

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2025

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vol. 58

93-110

EN

This study investigates the microbial and physicochemical quality of commonly used tomato paste, assessing 30 local and foreign tomato pastes across three distinct categories and 5 fresh tomato paste serving as a control. Microbial analysis revealed significant variations in total heterotrophic bacteria counts. Local brands (SL), (GL), and (TL) exhibited counts ranging from 2.6×103 to 8.2×103 CFU/g, while foreign brands (FF), (VF), and (DT) displayed counts from 3.0×102 to 7.25×103 CFU/g and fresh tomato pastes ranged from 1.8×104 to 2.8×106 CFU/g. Staphylococcus and coliform counts presented brand-specific disparities. Morphological and biochemical characterization identified thirteen bacterial genera and various fungal species, highlighting the diverse microbial communities present. The frequency of occurrence of bacteria isolates showed Staphylococcus spp. 32.0%; Bacillus spp. 20%; Escherichia coli 22 %; Klebsiella spp. 15 %; Proteus spp. 13 %; Pseudomonas spp. 8% Citrobacter 8.0%; Corynebacterium 5.0%; Enterobacter spp. 5.0%; Lactobacillus spp. 4.0%; Micrococcus spp. 3.0% and Salmonella spp. 4.28%.Fungal species had different occurrences, with: Yeast 22.8%; Aspergillus niger 16.9%; Mucor 10.1; Fusarium 16.9%; Pink Yeast 6.7%; Aspergillus flavus 2 %; Rhizopus stolonifera 11.8% Aspergillus fumigatus 1.0%. Penicillium 5.08% Trichoderma 1.69% Candida 10.0% and Saccharomyces 1.09%. Physicochemical analysis demonstrated variations in pH, ascorbic acid content, and moisture levels. Foreign tomato pastes exhibited higher pH values compared to local brands. Ascorbic acid content ranged from 17.59 to 27.80 mg/kg, and moisture content varied among fresh, local and foreign tomato paste. The study recommends conduct long-term studies to monitor trends in microbial safety and quality over time, which can inform future food safety policies and practices. Implementing these recommendations aims to enhance tomato paste quality, ensuring microbial safety and adherence to essential physicochemical quality.

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Microbial Quality, Proximate, and Mineral Composition of Different Species of Freshwater Snails: A Comparative Study on Achatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822), Lanistes libycus (Morelet, 1848), and Pomacea canaliculate (Lamarck, 1822)

100%

Omorodion N. J. P., Onwusoro D. I.

World News of Natural Sciences

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2024

|

vol. 57

256-269

EN

This study presents a thorough investigation into the microbial and mineral composition of freshwater snails, specifically Achatina fulica, Lanistes libycus, and Pomacea canaliculata, employing standard microbiological methods. Microbial assessments revealed significant variation in heterotrophic bacteria counts across the species. For Achatina fulica, counts ranged from 5.0 × 10⁷ cfu/g to 4.45 × 10⁹ cfu/g. In Lanistes libycus, the counts varied from 3.6 × 10⁵ cfu/g to 2.02 × 10⁷ cfu/g, while Pomacea canaliculata exhibited counts from 7.95 × 10⁵ cfu/g to 2.78 × 10⁶ cfu/g. Vibrio counts demonstrated diversity, with Achatina fulica showing a range from 1.35 × 10³ CFU/g to 1.78 × 10⁴ cfu/g, Lanistes libycus ranging from 4.05 × 10³ cfu/g to 7.1 × 10³ cfu/g, and Pomacea canaliculata presenting counts between 1.4 × 10³ cfu/g and 8.5 × 10³ CFU/g. Staphylococcus counts varied among the species: Achatina fulica had counts ranging from 2.95 × 10⁴ cfu/g to 2.51 × 10⁵ cfu/g, Lanistes libycus ranged from 9.05 × 10³ cfu/g to 5.7 × 10⁴ cfu/g, and Pomacea canaliculata exhibited counts between 9.0 × 10² cfu/g and 1.98 × 10⁴ cfu/g. Coliform counts also demonstrated a wide range, with the highest counts observed in Achatina fulica (from 7.6 × 10⁴ cfu/g to 2.18 × 10⁶ cfu/g), Lanistes libycus ranging from 4.469 × 10⁴ cfu/g to 8.356 × 10⁵ cfu/g, and Pomacea canaliculata showing counts between 3.05 × 10⁴ cfu/g and 1.95 × 10⁵ cfu/g. Morphological and biochemical characterization identified thirteen genera of bacteria, including 19.2% Staphylococcus, 4.3% Micrococcus, 8.5% Bacillus, 6.2% Corynebacterium, 11.3% Escherichia coli, 5.0% Klebsiella, 10.6% Pseudomonas, 9.2% Vibrio, 5.0 Serratia, 7.1% Enterobacter, 3.6% Salmonella, 4.3% Citrobacter, and 5.7% Proteus. The proximate composition analysis revealed variations in ash content, moisture content, lipid content, crude protein, and carbohydrate levels among the species. The mineral analysis included measurements of phosphorus, calcium, and potassium content across the different snail species. These findings enhance our understanding of the microbial ecology, nutritional richness, and mineral composition of freshwater snails. This research lays a foundation for future investigations into the ecological significance of these snails and their potential applications in human nutrition, highlighting their importance in both ecological conservation and dietary considerations.

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3 World News of Natural Sciences

1 2025

2 2024

3 Omorodion N. J. P.

1 Ajie O. F.

1 Okafor I. R.

1 Onwusoro D. I.

Microbial and physiochemical quality of post harvest apples (Malus domestica Borkh) influenced by storage condition

Investigating the Microbial Safety and Physiochemical Quality of Local vs. Foreign Tomato Pastes: A Study in Rivers State, Nigeria

Microbial Quality, Proximate, and Mineral Composition of Different Species of Freshwater Snails: A Comparative Study on Achatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822), Lanistes libycus (Morelet, 1848), and Pomacea canaliculate (Lamarck, 1822)