Department of Biological Sciences
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Item Isolation and identification of thermophilic cellulolytic yeast from cassava waste dump(Journal of Science Research,, 2015-01-01) Onilude, Adekoya, A.O A.A.; Wakil, Fasiku, S. A S. M; Ja’afaru, I. MCellulase is an enzyme complex which breaks down cellulose to glucose. The need for economical, complete and fast industrial processes necessitates the use of very active starters able to operate at high temperature of production to degrade cheap nutrients most of which are cellulolytic; hence the search for thermophilic cellulolytic yeasts from the environment. Isolation and identification of thermophilic yeasts were made from the soil samples using standard procedures and obtained isolates were screened for cellulolytic enzymes production. The enzymes were characterised using different parameters such as temperature, pH, substrate concentrations, enzyme concentrations and metal ion concentrations. A total of seven thermophilic yeasts were isolated from cassava waste dump sites and identified as Torulopis sphaerica, Kloeckera apiculata, Pichia canadensis, Pichia species, Candida krusei, Candida utilis and Rodotorula rubra. They all had optimum growth at temperature and pH of 55ºC and 6.0 respectively. The optimum temperature and pH for cellulolytic activities ranged from 45-55ºC and 5-6 respectively. Cellulolytic activities increased with increase in the concentration of substrate, enzymes and metal ions.Item Production of bacterial amylases and cellulases using sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas. (L.) Lam.) peels(African Journal of Biochemistry Research, 2015-01-01) Olanbiwoninu, Fasiku, Samuel Afolake AtinukePeels of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) were buried in the soil for 14 days and the isolates associated with the degradation of the peels were obtained using standard microbiological procedures. The bacterial isolates obtained were screened for amylolytic and cellulolytic activities under different pH and temperatures as parameters and optimized for enzyme production. Sixteen (16) bacterial isolates were obtained and characterized and screened for amylase and cellulase production. Bacillus pumilus has the highest frequency of occurrence (18.75%) followed by B. subtilis (12.50%). After 24 to 48 h of incubation, B. pumilus produced highest concentration of amylase at 55°C, pH 6 (5.4 U/mL) while B.subtilis had the best cellulase production of 0.75 U/mL at 55°C, pH 7. B. pumilus and Bacillus subtilis produced the highest amylase and cellulase concentrations and seem to be the potential sources of these enzymes for industrial application.Item Isolation and identification of antimicrobial-producing lactic acid bacteria from fermented cucumber(African Journal of Biotechnology, 2014-01-01) Wakil, Laba, S. A. S. M.; and Fasiku, S. ALactic acid bacteria (LAB) responsible for spontaneous fermentation of cucumber were isolated and their antimicrobial producing potentials were screened against 10 indicator strains. 65% of the isolated LAB produced antimicrobial activities against at least two indicator strains. The indicator strains used were: Escherichia coli, Bacillus licheniformis, B. cereus, Proteus species, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella species, Pseudomonas flourescence, P. aeruginosa, Serratia species and Pediococcus acidilactici. Of the 42 antimicrobial producing isolates characterized, 16, 12, 6 and 8 were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. fermentum, L. acidophilus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, respectively. Highest lactic acid producers DW7, DT6, DH13 and DF12 were selected for further investigations and were identified as L. plantarum. None of the selected L. plantarum isolates had antagonistic activity against S. aureus, Salmolnella species and P. acidilactici. The effect of pH and temperature on the antimicrobial activity of selected isolates showed that pH 5.5 and temperature 30°C were the optimum pH and temperature respectively. Thus, the selected L. plantarum isolates are good producers of antimicrobial compounds and could be suitable for application in food industry in preservation of vegetables so as to increase their shelf life.Item Production of Bioethanol from Palm Oil Mill Effluent using Starter Cultures(New York Science Journal, 2013-01-01) Wakil, Fasiku, Samuel Adedayo Sherifah Monilola; Adelabu, Onilude, Anthony Abiodun Adebola BlessingPalm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) has great potential as a substrate for acetone, butanol and ethanol fermentation because it contains a mixture of carbohydrates including starch, hemicellulose, sucrose and other carbohydrates that can be utilized by microorganisms. Hence microorganisms were isolated from spontaneously fermenting POME, the predominant strains were selected as starters and the effect of starters singly and in combination for bioethanol production was evaluated/determined. POME was spontaneously fermented for 21 days from which samples were taken every 3 days for analyses of pH, microbial quality, ethanol content, free fatty acid and lipase activity. Microorganisms isolated were characterized and identified. Moulds isolated were strains of Aspergillus and Penicillum genera, yeast were Yarrowia lipolytica, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida spp., while bacteria were strains of Bacillus spp. and Micrococus sp. Sterile palm oil mill effluent was fermented with the starter cultures for 12 days and analyzed every 3 days for bioethanol production. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, while used singly, produced the highest bioethanol (3.70%) concentration. Statistical analysis shows that bioethanol and percentage free fatty acid production by single and combined starter fermented POME is significantly different (P ≤0.05) while lipase production was not significantly different (P≥0.05). The study reveals that fermentation of POME for 12days at room temperature (30+20C) using Saccharomyces cerevisiae singly gives the highest bioethanol concentration. Therefore, the use of starter cultures for fermentation of POME for the production of bioethanol is a potential solution for the control of pollution generated from the annual disposal of POME.Item Production of Bioethanol from Spontaneous Fermentation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME).(Science Publications, 2013-01-01) Wakil, Fasiku, Samuel Adedayo Sherifah Monilola; Adelabu, Onilude, Anthony Abiodun Adebola BlessingThe feasibility of bioethanol production from spontaneous fermentation of palm oil mill effluent was carried out. Cooled POME (1.5L) was allowed to ferment spontaneously for 21 days for analysis of microbial quality, free fatty acid, lipase activity and ethanol contents. Effect of pH and supplementation on ethanol and other parameters were also determined every 3 days for 21 days. Ethanol content increased as the concentration of glucose increased and highest ethanol content (0.9%) was recorded at 25g/L and 30g/L of glucose in POME. Sugar cane bagasse supplementation had highest ethanol content (0.9%) at 20g/L and 30g/L thereafter decreased as its supplementation increased. Corn steep liquor supplementation did not have any effect on ethanol production from POME. Fermented POME supplemented with corn steep liquor had the highest lipase activity (0.00756μg/ml/day) and free fatty acid (2.561%) at 150ml/L. POME supplemented with 30g/L glucose and 30g/L sugar cane bagasse had the highest record of ethanol content (2.3%) at pH of 8.5 with highest free fatty acid (5.029%) at pH 6.5 on the 12th day of fermentation and highest lipase activity (0.03200μg/ml/day) was recorded at pH 6.5 on the 3rd day of fermentation. A relative high bioethanol can be produced by spontaneously fermenting POME with addition of 30g/L of glucose and 30g/L of sugar cane bagasse for 12 days at pH of 8.5.