Comparison Of Microbial Quality Of Leaf And Polythene Wrapped Ugba (Pentaclethra Macrophyla)

ABSTRACT

The microbial quality of leaf and polythene wrapped ugba samples obtained from Umuahia was compared in this study. Ten (10) samples; Six (6) wrapped in fresh leaves labelled LW 1-6 and four (4) samples wrapped in polythene bags labelled NW 1-4 were analyzed. Pour plate technique was used for colony count and enumeration while streak plate method was used for isolation of pure colonies. Seven (7) bacterial general were isolated from the leaf wrapped ugba sample while the seven (7) bacterial general were isolated from the polythene wrapped samples (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus spp, Salmonella spp, shigella spp, Proteus spp and Enterococcus spp). The total plate count ranged from 1.08 x 10⁷CFU/g to 9.80 x 10⁷ CFU/g. The shigella spp had the highest occurrence (70%) while Enterococcus spp and Proteus spp had the lowest percentage occurrence (30%). This study reveals the diversity and microbial load in ugba wrapped with two different materials and shows that some organisms were isolated despite the difference in wrapping materials.